ADVANCED MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

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AMT ELECTROSURGERY
INTEGRATING SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE
BASICS OF ELECTROSURGERY
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Basics of Electricity
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Electrosurgial Principles

• Current follows pathway of least resistance
• Current always seeks to complete the circuit
• As Resistance within the circuit increases,
  current flow decreases

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Neromuscular Stimulation
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Tissue Effects

• Cutting
• Desiccation
• Fulguration
• Soft Coagulation
• Bipolar
• Argon Plasma Coagulation

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Cutting

• Continuous high-frequency current
• Cause quick, clean cutting
• Minimal Thermal Artifact
• Blended Current
• Combination of cutting and coagulation waveform
  characteristics
• Moderate hemostasis

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Desiccation (Forced Coag)

• Contact Coagulation
• Slow drying out of tissue
• Varying degrees of thermal artifact
• Causes eschar to form

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Fulguration (Spray Coag)

• Non contact
• High Voltage
• Electrical current arcs from electrode to tissue
• Superficial

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Soft Coagulation

• Contact Coagulation
• Low Voltage
• Continuous waveform
• Non Sticking non charring
• Reproducible

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Bipolar

• Contact coagulation
• Low voltage
• Safer than monopolar
• Non charring

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Argon Plasma Coagulation

• Non contact
• Non Charring
• Superficial

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Argon Plasma Coagulation
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Argon Plasma Coagulation
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ESUs

• Conventional
• Constant Voltage
• Hyfrecator
• Argon Plasma Coagulation

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Return Electrodes

• Non CQMS
• CQMS
• Capacitive Pads

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CQMS Technology
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Capacitive Pad
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Active Electrodes

• Monopolar
• Pencils
• Laparoscopic
• Forceps
• Bipolar
• Laparoscopic
• Forceps

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Troubleshooting

• Operator Errors
• System Errors
• Accessory Failures

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Buzzing a Hemostat

• Good Practice?
• How to do it safely

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Surgical Staff Burns

• How do they occur?
• How to avoid them