Margin Status and Duration of Surgery in Resection of Tongue Carcinoma with Ultrasound Coagulation Device: a Comparative Study

Tongue is one of the most common subsites involved by oral cancer. Improved surgical care and adjuvant therapy, along with better rehabilitation has significantly improved long-term survival and quality of life in patients with oral cancer. Primary surgical treatment is the preferred modality of treatment in cancers of the oral tongue. Although the surgical techniques have remained unchanged, various devices have been used to aid primary tumour resection, with a view to reduce bleeding and scarring. The purpose of this study is to compare resection of oral tongue tumours using ultrasonic coagulation device with conventional electrodiathermy. This study was conducted to compare histological margins and duration of surgery between ultrasonic coagulation device and electrodiathermy in the resection of oral tongue tumours. A retrospective analysis was performed comprising patients undergoing wide excision for squamous cell carcinoma of the lateral tongue, with either ultrasonic coagulation device or conventional electrodiathermy at Our Institute in Mumbai, India, from October 2015 to December 2016. Single factor ANOVA with the level of significance set at 95% and alpha value of 0.05. Patients who underwent excision with ultrasonic coagulation device better histologically tumour-free margins (except posterior margin) (p values—anterior margin, posterior margin, lateral margin and deep margin 0.0045, 0.59, 0.011 and 0.00013 respectively) and lesser operative time when compared with conventional electrodiathermy. Ultrasonic coagulation device was effective in providing adequate oncologically safe margins in carcinoma tongue.