Electrosurgery - All you need to know

What is Electrosurgery?

Electrosurgery is a technique often used in a medical or surgical context. An electrosurgical generator along with accessories are intended for cutting, coagulation, vessel sealing and resection of live tissue using monopolar and bipolar electrodes with high frequency electric current.

Electrosurgery can be used in multidisciplinary surgical procedures such as Gynecology, Urology, Laparoscopic and Endoscopic surgeries, Onco-surgery, Cardiothoracic surgery, Spine and Neuro-surgery, Orthopedic, Ophthalmic, ENT, Maxillofacial, Dental surgery and other general surgeries.

Modes of Electrosurgical Operation

Depending on the application, an electrosurgical equipment is generally used in four different modes of operation:

1. Monopolar Electrosurgery:

• In Monopolar electrosurgery, only one pole, active electrode is in the surgical site.
• An electric current from generator is delivered to the surgical site through active electrode & returned back to generator via patient return electrode.

2. Bipolar Electrosurgery:

• In Bipolar electrosurgery, both the active & return electrodes are in surgical site.
• Patient return electrode is not required as bipolar instrument contains an active electrode & return electrode.
• An electric current flows from active electrode to the return electrode through tissue grasped by the instrument.

3. Saline Plasma Bipolar Electrosurgery:

• In Saline Plasma Bipolar electrosurgery, both the active & return electrodes are in surgical site as in bipolar. Patient return electrode is not required.
• The generator produces a high initial voltage spike that establishes spark in a gap between the bipolar electrodes under saline.
• When the loop is sufficiently close to tissue, the high bipolar voltage spike arc between the electrodes converts the conductive sodium chloride solution into a non-equilibrium vapour layer or 'plasma' containing energy-charged sodium particles; which can be maintained at lower voltages.

4. Vessel Sealing

• In Vessel Sealing, both the active & return electrodes are in surgical site as in bipolar. Patient return electrode is not required as Vessel Sealing instrument contains an active electrode & return electrode.
• Tissue vessel is sealed by applying calibrated pressure with RF energy through tissue grasped by the instrument. The Collagen & Elastin within the tissue in vessel walls melts & restructure to form a seal.

Electrosurgical Equipment

During surgical procedures, surgeons use an electrosurgical unit (ESU) to cut and coagulate tissues. ESUs generate electric current at high frequency at the end of an active electrode. This current cuts and coagulates tissue. It is easy to use this equipment in several surgical procedures.

BPL SurgiX VS1 is a high-performance electrosurgical solution with unique features such as advanced feedback technology, personalized settings and safety monitoring - an exemplary solution for multiple specialty ORs.

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With our wide-spread network of professionals across India, BPL Medical is ready to help you plan, and provide strong support in creating the most effective path for your critical care and surgery needs. There’s one for every budget, workflow and environment. Get in touch with us so we can help you select the model that is best for your facility and your workflow.

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