Electrosurgery
Electrosurgery is the procedure where high-frequency electrical current is used to cut and coagulate tissue during medical procedures. It generates heat from the electrical resistance of the tissue, and allows precise dissection resulting in reduced blood loss. Adjusting the device’s settings, like power and waveform, allows the customization of the procedure for cutting, coagulation, or a combination of both.
Procedure of Electrosurgery:
➔An electrosurgical unit (ESU) converts the alternating current from a wall outlet into a high-frequency current.
➔This current travels through an active electrode used to touch the tissue.
➔The electrical resistance of the tissue converts the high-frequency current into heat.
➔The surgeon can adjust the power, waveform, and duty cycle thereby achieve different effects as below:
- Electrosection: A pure cutting current that vaporizes tissue, thereby making incisions.
- Electrocoagulation: A slow process of heating used to stop bleeding by coagulating blood vessels.
- Electrodesiccation and Electrofulguration: Techniques that are used to destroy tissue by dehydration or a spark, primarily for treating benign skin conditions.
- Blended cut: A combination of cutting and coagulation, where the waveform is adjusted to create an incision while simultaneously coagulating small vessels along the cut’s edge.
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