Electrophysical properties of electrosurgery and capacitive induced current

Safety considerations in laparoscopic surgery: A narrative review

Laparoscopic surgery has many advantages over open surgery. At the same time, it is not without its risks. In this review, we discuss steps that could enhance the safety of laparoscopic surgery. Some of the important safety considerations are ruling out pregnancy in women of the childbearing age group; advanced discussion with the patient regarding unexpected intraoperative situations, and ensuring appropriate equipment is available. Important perioperative safety considerations include thromboprophylaxis; antibiotic prophylaxis; patient allergies; proper positioning of the patient, stack, and monitor(s); patient appropriate pneumoperitoneum; ergonomic port placement; use of lowest possible intra-abdominal pressure; use of additional five-millimetre (mm) ports as needed; safe use of energy devices and laparoscopic staplers; low threshold for a second opinion; backing out if unsafe to proceed; avoiding hand-over in the middle of the procedure; ensuring all planned procedures have been performed; inclusion of laparoscopic retrieval bags and specimens in the operating count; avoiding 10-15 mm ports for placement of drains; appropriate port closures; and use of long-acting local anaesthetic agents for analgesia. Important postoperative considerations include adequate analgesia; early ambulation; careful attention to early warning scores; and appropriate discharge advice.

Intraoperative burn from a grounding pad of electrosurgical device during breast surgery: A CARE-compliant case report

RATIONAL

Burns at the site of the return electrode (i.e., grounding pad) are possible effects of electrosurgery. Despite this knowledge, however, ignorance or negligence with regards to proper handling of the grounding pads still often occurs. Burn injuries can be easily prevented by taking the necessary precautions; thus, during plastic surgery, careful attention should to be paid.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 38-year-old female patient was admitted to our ward to be performed augmentation mammoplasty. Before the start of the procedure, the grounding pad was placed on the surgical table and the left calf of the patient was placed on the grounding pad. Before using the endoscope, we found a burn on patient's left calf, where the grounding pad had been placed.

DIAGNOSIS

It was a 3-cm-by-3-cm-sized full thickness burn. The surrounding areas had no painful sensation with noninfectious sign.

INTERVENTION

Debridement and direct closure was performed with elliptical incision of eschar.

OUTCOMES

The patient did not require additional surgical procedure anymore and satisfied with the scar.

LESSONS

Through this case, we present the appropriate management of electrical burns from a grounding pad, and emphasize the understanding of the mechanism of burn because of electrosurgery, and how to use the grounding pad optimally to minimize the patient's risk.

Dual-sided electrosurgery handpiece for simultaneous tissue cutting and coagulation: first report on a conceptual design validated by an animal experiment

Objective

To introduce and evaluate the safety of a novel dual-sided electrosurgery handpiece design for simultaneous tissue cutting and coagulation.

Methods

We designed a prototype double-sided handpiece allowing automatic switching between two electrodes with a simple handpiece flip. The concept of the system as a surgical instrument was assessed by an animal experiment.

Results

The skin of 15 Wistar albino white rats could be successfully incised and coagulated using both ends of the handpiece, thereby confirming the prospects and clinical applications of the system.

Conclusion

The dual-sided electrosurgery handpiece is a simple and safe alternative to the traditional electrosurgery pencil, allowing the simultaneous use of two electrodes without the hassle of frequent electrode replacement.

Investigating the role of capacitive coupling between the operating table and the return electrode of an electrosurgery unit in the modification of the current density distribution within the patients' body

BACKGROUND

Electrosurgery units are widely employed in modern surgery. Advances in technology have enhanced the safety of these devices, nevertheless, accidental burns are still regularly reported. This study focuses on possible causes of sacral burns as complication of the use of electrosurgery. Burns are caused by local densifications of the current, but the actual pathway of current within patient's body is unknown. Numerical electromagnetic analysis can help in understanding the issue.

METHODS

To this aim, an accurate heterogeneous model of human body (including seventy-seven different tissues), electrosurgery electrodes, operating table and mattress was build to resemble a typical surgery condition. The patient lays supine on the mattress with the active electrode placed onto the thorax and the return electrode on his back. Common operating frequencies of electrosurgery units were considered. Finite Difference Time Domain electromagnetic analysis was carried out to compute the spatial distribution of current density within the patient's body. A differential analysis by changing the electrical properties of the operating table from a conductor to an insulator was also performed.

RESULTS

Results revealed that distributed capacitive coupling between patient body and the conductive operating table offers an alternative path to the electrosurgery current. The patient's anatomy, the positioning and the different electromagnetic properties of tissues promote a densification of the current at the head and sacral region. In particular, high values of current density were located behind the sacral bone and beneath the skin. This did not occur in the case of non-conductive operating table.

CONCLUSION

Results of the simulation highlight the role played from capacitive couplings between the return electrode and the conductive operating table. The concentration of current density may result in an undesired rise in temperature, originating burns in body region far from the electrodes. This outcome is concordant with the type of surgery-related sacral burns reported in literature. Such burns cannot be immediately detected after surgery, but appear later and can be confused with bedsores. In addition, the dosimetric analysis suggests that reducing the capacity coupling between the return electrode and the operating table can decrease or avoid this problem.

Energetic soft-tissue treatment technologies: an overview of procedural fundamentals and safety factors

BACKGROUND

Energy administered during soft-tissue treatments may cauterize, coagulate, seal, or otherwise affect underlying structures. A general overview of the functionality, procedural outcomes, and associated risks of these treatments, however, is not yet generally available. In addition, literature is sometimes inconsistent with regards to terminology. Along with the rapid expansion of available energetic instruments, particularly in the field of endoscopic surgery, these factors may complicate the ability to step back, review available treatment options, and identify critical parameters for appropriate use.

METHODS

Online databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were used to collect literature on popular energetic treatments, such as electrosurgery, plasma surgery, ultrasonic surgery, and laser surgery. The main results include review and comparison studies on the working mechanisms, pathological outcomes, and procedural hazards.

RESULTS

The tissue response to energetic treatments can be largely explained by known mechanical and thermal interactions. Application parameters, such as the interaction time and power density, were found to be of major influence. By breaking down treatments to this interaction level, it is possible to differentiate the available options and reveal their strengths and weaknesses. Exact measures of damage and alike quantifications of interaction are, although valuable to the surgeon, often either simply unknown due to the high impact of tissue and application-dependent parameters or badly documented in previous studies. In addition, inconsistencies in literature regarding the terminology of used techniques were observed and discussed. They may complicate the formulation of cause and effect relations and lead to misconceptions regarding the treatment performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Some basic knowledge on used energetic treatments and settings and a proper use of terminology may enhance the practitioner's insight in allowable actions to take, improve the interpretation and diagnosis of histological and mechanical tissue changes, and decrease the probability of iatrogenic mishaps.

Principles and safety measures of electrosurgery in laparoscopy

This report stresses that a thorough knowledge of electrosurgical fundamentals by the entire operative team is essential for patient safety and recognizing potential complications.

Background:

Electrosurgical units are the most common type of electrical equipment in the operating room. A basic understanding of electricity is needed to safely apply electrosurgical technology for patient care.

Methods:

We reviewed the literature concerning the essential biophysics, the incidence of electrosurgical injuries, and the possible mechanisms for injury. Various safety guidelines pertaining to avoidance of injuries were also reviewed.

Results:

Electrothermal injury may result from direct application, insulation failure, direct coupling, capacitive coupling, and so forth.

Conclusion:

A thorough knowledge of the fundamentals of electrosurgery by the entire team in the operating room is essential for patient safety and for recognizing potential complications. Newer hemostatic technologies can be used to decrease the incidence of complications.

The evolutionary state of electrosurgery: where are we now?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to discuss the evolutionary changes that have taken place in the area of electrosurgery. The distinct differences between devices along with disadvantages and ways of minimizing hazards will be analyzed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Since the first surgical application of electricity in the 1880s, the use of radiofrequency current in surgery has grown. Although monopolar and bipolar energy form the backbone of electrosurgery, various modifications have been made to both the electrosurgical generators and the hand instruments. Much of the driving force behind these modifications has been the goal of minimizing possible complications while improving surgical efficiency. Recently, the ability to obtain vessel sealing has dramatically impacted clinical practice in open, laparoscopic, and vaginal surgery.

SUMMARY

Current evidence demonstrates the effectiveness and safety of electrosurgical devices in gynecologic surgery. Technology has evolved to allow vessel sealing capability through various instruments. Critical to the successful use of these advanced electrosurgical devices is a thorough understanding of their individual differences and nuances in order to obtain the desired tissue effects. Further studies are needed to determine the most appropriate applications and surgical procedures for these devices.

[Nadroparin-induced skin necrosis then thrombocytosis in intensive care unit: difficulty in diagnosis]

Skin necrosis is a rare complication in intensive care unit. A case-report of nadroparine-induced skin necrosis and thrombocytosis in a patient with traumatic paraplegia is reported. This case emphasised the difficulty in diagnosis despite absence of thrombopenia. A skin necrosis could suggest the diagnosis and a substitutive therapy must be administrated after heparin therapy withdrawal. A thrombocytosis is a little reported complication of low-molecular-weight heparins without complication.

“Current thoughts” in electrosurgery

The ongoing desire to improve hemostasis and efficiency during surgery is manifested in the rapid development of electrosurgical technology. These changes have brought about a wide variety of devices available to the practicing surgeon during both open and endoscopic cases. Depending on the instrument chosen, various clinical effects ranging from simple coagulation to the sealing of large vascular bundles are obtained. However potential pitfalls or complications also exist. A thorough understanding of the pros and cons of these technological advancements can improve the operative experience for both surgeon and patient.

Accidental burns during surgery

The purpose of this report is to increase awareness of intraoperative burns during standard procedures, to discuss their possible causes and warning signs and to provide recommendations for prevention and procedures to follow after their occurrence. A total of 19 patients associated with intraoperative burn accidents were treated surgically and analyzed after a mean follow-up of 5 +/- 3.5 months. Review included retrospective patient chart analysis, clinical examination, and technical device and equipment testing. A total of 15 patients recently underwent cardiac surgery, and 4 pediatric patients recovered after standard surgical procedures. A total of 15 patients had superficial and 4 presented with deep dermal or full-thickness burns. The average injured TBSA was 2.1 +/- 1% (range, 0.5-4%). Delay between primary surgery and consultation of plastic surgeons was 4.5 +/- 3.4 days. A total of 44% required surgery, including débridment, skin grafting or musculocutaneous gluteus maximus flaps, and the remaining patients were treated conservatively. Successful durable soft-tissue coverage of the burn region was achieved in 18 patients, and 1 patient died after a course of pneumonia. Technical analysis demonstrated one malfunctioning electrosurgical device, one incorrect positioned neutral electrode, three incidents occurred after moisture under the negative electrode, eight burns occurred during surgery while fluid or blood created alternate current pathways, five accidents were chemical burns after skin preparation with Betadine solution, and in one case, the cause was not clear. The surgical team should pay more attention to the probability of burns during surgery. Early patient examination and immediate involvement of plastic and burn surgeons may prevent further complications or ease handling after the occurrence.

Tools of the trade

An unhurried, deft, economical technique allied to efficient use of available resources, surgical instruments and support staff is the hallmark of a 'good' surgeon. To achieve this sense of fluency, surgeons need to be familiar with the tools of their profession so that these can be employed appropriately for the task at hand. The range of instruments available in obstetrics and gynaecology is no less wide or complex than in any other branch of surgery, but formal teaching in the full range of surgical hardware is frequently lacking and an individual's exposure is generally limited to the instruments used in his or her own training hospital. This chapter sets out to describe key technical areas with which surgeons need to be familiar.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery in a Patient with a Deep Brain Stimulator: A Review of the Literature on Implantable Electrical Devices

BACKGROUND

Implantable electrical devices are becoming increasingly common in the patient population presenting for Mohs micrographic surgery. In addition to understanding the potential intraoperative complications with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and pacemakers, the Mohs surgeon needs to be aware of the relatively new treatment of movement disorders using implanted deep brain stimulators.

OBJECTIVE

We present only the second reported case of Mohs surgery in a patient with a deep brain stimulator. In an attempt to help minimize adverse events during a procedure, we review the more commonly encountered electrical devices as well as the newer deep brain stimulators. We provide guidelines for the avoidance of electromagnetic interference during an electrosurgical procedure.

METHODS

This 76-year-old patient with Parkinson's disease and an implanted deep brain stimulator underwent Mohs surgery for excision of a squamous cell carcinoma on the ear. In an attempt to minimize electromagnetic interference with his implanted device, hemostasis was obtained with the aid of a battery-operated heat-generating handheld electrocautery device.

RESULTS

The patient tolerated the procedure well without complications or reports of discomfort.

CONCLUSION

Patients with implanted electrical devices are subject to electromagnetic interference during an electrosurgical procedure. Care must be taken in this expanding patient population during a Mohs surgical procedure.

A third-degree burn caused by a neurogenic motor-evoked potential monitoring electrode during spinal surgery: a case report

STUDY DESIGN

A case report is presented.

OBJECTIVE

To report a previously undescribed complication related to use of a neurogenic motor-evoked potential monitoring electrode and electrosurgery during spinal surgery.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Although electrosurgery is one of the most commonly used technologies in the operating room, its electrophysical properties, including the potential for complications, are poorly understood by many surgeons. Complications related to the use of electrosurgical instruments, monitoring electrodes, and radiofrequency current are underreported in the literature.

METHODS

Clinical case analysis and investigation report were used.

RESULTS

A case of third-degree skin burn at the site of a neurogenic motor-evoked potential monitoring electrode during posterior spinal fusion surgery is described.

CONCLUSIONS

A burn resulting from a neurogenic motor-evoked potential monitoring electrode is rare. However, surgeons and electrophysiologists should be familiar with this potential complication in order to prevent it.