The HAC trial (harmonic for acute cholecystitis): a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial comparing the use of harmonic scalpel to monopolar diathermy for laparoscopic cholecystectomy in cases of acute cholecystitis

Table 2 Comparison of H-mediated VLC for AC to VLC without the use of H for AC (control group)

	VLC with H	VLC with MD	p
	(Study group-21 pts)	(Control group–21 pts)
Sex (M/F)	11/10 (52%)	10/11 (47%)	ns*
Mean age	71.2 ± 7.1	71.6 +/−6.2	ns^‡
BMI	26.6 ± 2.1	28.1 ± 2.31	ns^‡
Apache II score	10.1 ± 1.9	11.0 ± 2.3	ns^‡
Time between admission and surgery (hours)	69.4 ± 6.1	68.7 ± 7.2	ns^§
Mean operating time (minutes)	101.3 ± 10,1	106.4 ± 11.3	ns^§
Mean intra-operative blood loss (cc)	91.1 ± 11.9	166.6 cc ± 19.2	< 0.05^§
Conversion rate	1/21 (4.7%)	7/21 (33%)	< 0.05^†
Morbidity rate	(5/21)23.8%	(4/21)19.0%	Ns*
Post-operative morbidity	1/21 (4.7%)	1/21 (4.7%)	ns^†
Post-operative morbidity	Conservative treatment of 1 biliary leak	Wound infection in 1 converted patient	ns^†
Non-surgical morbidity	4/21 (19%)	3/21 (14%)	ns^†
	2 pneumonia	1 pneumonia
	1 UTI	1 prolonged ileus
	1 prolonged ileus	1 atrial fibrillation
Patients with RBC transfusions	2/21 (9.5%)	1/21 (4.7%)	ns^†
Mortality	0	0	n.a.
Post-operative hospitalization (mean)	5.2 ± 0.9	5.4 ± 1.1	ns^§
Mean follow-up period (months)	14.2 ± 0.6	16.4 ± 0.8	ns^‡
Late morbidity/mortality (surgery-related)	0%	0%	n.a.

Data presented as mean (SD) or number of patients (%). * = chi-square test, ^† = Fisher exact test, ^‡ = independent samples T test, ^§ = Mann–Whitney test.

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