BACKGROUND: Conventional techniques for hemostasis during thyroidectomy rely on knot
tying, clips, and electrocoagulation. Recently, the Harmonic FOCUS Shear (Ethicon Endo-
Surgery, Inc, Cincinnati, OH) was developed for thyroidectomy. METHODS: Between
December 2007 and March 2008, 62 consecutive patients (45 women, 17 men; mean age
50.9 years) undergoing thyroidectomy were randomized into 2 groups: group A, where the
FOCUS was used, and group B, where electrocoagulation and clamp-and-tie technique …