By Casey Tingle
Use of a bipolar sealer device during primary, direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty significantly decreased the transfusion rate and calculated blood loss compared with procedures that used standard electrocautery, according to results of this level 1 study.
Researchers enrolled 118 patients undergoing unilateral, primary direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty (THA), and randomly assigned 57 patients to the bipolar sealer treatment arm and 61 to the standard electrocautery control arm. The postoperative transfusion rate was the primary outcome measure, while calculated blood loss was the secondary outcome measure.
