Objective   To study the efficacy of an ultrasonic harmonic scalpel in the radical surgery of gastric cancer.

  Methods   A total of 106 gastric cancer patients who had undergone distal D2 lymphadenectomy by the same surgeon between March 2009 to March 2011 in the first ward of the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University were included in this study. We divided the patients into the scalpel surgery (50 cases) and conventional surgery (56 cases) groups. The scalpel surgery group underwent surgery by an ultrasonic harmonic scalpel. The conventional surgery group underwent surgery by a monopolar electrocautery shovel and other traditional instruments. Then, these two surgical groups were compared in terms of the average operation time, blood loss, number of harvested lymph nodes, average drainage 3 days after surgery, and post-operative hospital stay.

  Results   The average operation time, blood loss, and post-operative hospital stay were significantly lower in the scalpel surgery group than in the traditional group (P < 0.05). The number of lymph node dissection was significantly higher in the scalpel surgery group than in the conventional surgery group (P < 0.05). There was no difference between the average drainage 3 days after surgery and hospitalization costs of the two groups (P > 0.05). In atherosclerotic patients, the average operation time and blood loss significantly lower in the scalpel surgery group than in the traditional group (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion   An ultrasonic harmonic scalpel may have a viable effect on the radical surgery of gastric cancer patients, and can be used in more precise surgeries to be developed in the future.