What are the safety precautions to be considered with the placement of the patient return electrode?
Choose a location for the return electrode/dispersive pad that is as close to the operative site as possible, clean and dry, well vascularised, and over a large muscle mass. Avoid bony prominences, adipose tissue, scar tissue, skin over implanted metal prostheses, hairy surfaces, and pressure points.
What is the patient preparation and education for electrosurgery?
Patient Preparation Patients should be instructed to remove all metal objects, including jewelry, and avoid contact with grounded metal objects during the procedure. This will help minimize the risk of inadvertent shocks and electrical burns.
Is electrocautery a surgery?
What is electrocauterization? Electrocauterization is a routine surgical procedure. A surgeon or doctor uses electricity to heat tissue in order to: prevent or stop bleeding after an injury or during surgery.
What is grounding during surgery?
A small probe with an electric current running through it is used to burn or destroy the tissue. A grounding pad is placed on the body (usually the thigh) before the surgery to protect the person from the harmful effects of the electricity.
What are the types of electrocautery?
High-frequency electrosurgery refers to four different methods: electrocoagulation, electrodesiccation, electrofulguration, and electrosection. These methods involve high-frequency alternating current, which is converted to heat by resistance as it passes through the tissue.
What precautions should be taken during procedure?
Healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the room should wear an N95 or higher-level respirator, eye protection, gloves, and a gown. The number of HCPs present during the procedure should be limited to only those essential for patient care and procedure support. Visitors should not be present for the procedure.
What is Bovie electrocautery?
The electrosurgical unit, or Bovie, is a surgical device used to incise tissue, destroy tissue through desiccation, and to control bleeding (hemostasis) by causing the coagulation of blood.
How does Bovie electrocautery work?
The electrocautery unit (Bovie, cautery, or electrosurgical unit) (Figure 23-35, A) uses high-frequency electrical energy to cut tissue or coagulate bleeding. The preferential conduction of electrical energy by blood vessels facilitates coagulation.
How does electrocautery stop bleeding?
Electrocauterization is the process of destroying tissue (or cutting through soft tissue) using heat conduction from a metal probe heated by electric current. The procedure stops bleeding from small vessels (larger vessels being ligated).