Use of hydrosurgical technologies in the treatment of adults and children. Review

Every year, new medical equipment is introduced to surgeons to improve the techniques of surgical interventions and reduce the risk of postoperative complications. One of these methods is hydrosurgery. This study aimed to analyze medical literature on the experience of using hydrosurgical units in various branches of modern surgical practice, provide information on their effectiveness, and evaluate their main advantages, disadvantages, and prospects for use in pediatric surgery. Publication search and information analysis were carried out using the databases PubMed, eLibrary, Web of science, and Cyberleninca. The following search phrases were used: hydrosurgery, water jet devices, hydrosurgery, water jet hydrodissection, HybridKnife, Erbejet, VersaJet, water-jetdevices, and water-jetdebridement. For the literature review, only sources in Russian and English published from 2015 to 2022 were selected. The experience of using hydrosurgical units in adult and pediatric surgical practices was considered. According to the specified search parameters, we analyzed 54 articles, 38 of which were included in the literature review. The remaining 16 articles were excluded due to the small sample of patients and incomplete stages of the study. RESULTS: The results indicated the significant effectiveness and versatility of hydrosurgical methods. The fixed advantages of their use in the modern practice of a surgeon largely prevailed over their disadvantages, allowing their potential application in surgical interventions of varying degrees of complexity. Hydrosurgical technologies in pediatric practice were used in combustiology, treatment of wounds, skin neoplasms, and destructive pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, hydrosurgical methods are one of the effective modern surgical approaches to the treatment of patients with various pathologies. An in-depth study of this method in pediatric surgery is warranted.