Abstract

Objectives: To compare the use of diathermy versus scalpel in abdominal skin incisions to see the variations in post operative pain, incision time, incision blood loss and wound complication rate.

Background: Surgical scalpels are traditionally used for making skin incisions during abdominal surgical operations. The great evolutions in the electrosurgical devices nowadays bring an alternative method for making skin incision by the usage of diathermy skin incision.

Data Sources: Medline databases (Cochrane reviews, PubMed, Medscape, Science Direct) and all materials available in the Internet from 2011 to 2017.

Study Selection: The initial search presented 157 articles of which 8 met the inclusion criteria. The articles were randomized controlled trials compared the use of surgical scalpel versus cutting diathermy in making skin incisions during abdominal operations.

Data Extraction: If the studies did not fulfill the inclusion criteria, they were excluded. Study quality assessment included whether ethical approval was gained, eligibility criteria specified, appropriate controls, adequate information and defined assessment measures.

Data Synthesis: Comparisons were made by structured review with the results tabulated.

Findings: The studies indicated that cutting diathermy could be accepted as an alternative method for abdominal skin incisions.

Conclusion: The studies stated that, the use of diathermy in skin incision during abdominal surgical operations was associated with less blood loss and shorter incision time than the scalpel skin incision. No increase in the postoperative pain and wound complications rate reported with the use of cutting diathermy for abdominal skin incisions.

Keywords: Electrosurgery; Diathermy; Scalpel; Skin incisions