Long-term follow-up of Starion™ versus Harmonic Scalpel™ hemorrhoidectomy for grade III and IV hemorrhoids

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study represented an effort to design an alternative to Harmonic Scalpel with the same effectiveness but at a lower cost. The concomitant use of Starion and Harmonic Scalpel had been evaluated to determine the differences in terms of the effectiveness immediately after the operation and 3 years post-operatively. METHODS: 114 patients in the SH group (Starion hemorrhoidectomy) and 107 patients in the HSH group (Harmonic Scalpel) were contacted for cumulative inspection 1 week, 4 weeks, and 3 years post-operatively to check for the recurrence rate. RESULTS: No significant difference in the pain score was observed at post-operative week 1, with the SH group scoring 2.08 +/- 0.96 and the HSH group scoring 2.29 +/- 1.00 (p = 0.112). No significant difference in patient satisfaction was observed at post-operative week 4, with the SH group scoring 8.63 +/- 1.28 and the HSH group scoring 8.60 +/- 1.32 (p = 0.847). No significant difference in wound healing was observed, with the SH group showing 18.24 +/- 3.13 days and the HSH group showing 18.21 +/- 2.96 days (p = 0.943). The post-operative recurrence rate was 3.5% (4/114) in the SH group at the 3-year follow-up compared to 4.7% (5/107) in the HSH group without any statistically significant difference (p = 0.662). CONCLUSIONS: Starion was a safe, rapid, and effective method for the treatment of Grade III or IV hemorrhoids.