Page 28 - World Journal of Laparoscopic Surgery

Anshika Lekhi et al
Table 2: Monopolar electrosurgery tissue effects 3
Contact with
Tissue effect Surgical effect Current waveform tissue Characteristics
Vaporization Cutting Continuous (cut) No contact Low-voltage sparks,
moderate smoke

Fulguration Hemostasis of Interrupted (coag) No contact High-voltage sparks,
small vessels significant smoke
(< 1 mm) and charring

Desiccation Hemostasis of Continuous (cut) or Contact Similar action
small vessels interrupted (coag) to bipolar
(< 1 mm) electrosurgery,
pronounced lateral
thermal spread

Coaptation Sealing of small- Continuous (cut) or Contact and Similar action
to-medium vessels interrupted (coag) compression to bipolar
(< 2 mm) of vessel wall electrosurgery,
pronounced lateral
thermal spread

Fig. 1: Pathway of monopolar current

Waveforms

The waveforms in monopolar electrosurgery are “cut,”
“coagulation,” and “blend” (Fig. 2). It is important to
realize that these waveforms do not imply a particular
tissue effect – e.g., the tissue effect is different when cut Fig. 2: Waveforms of different mopolar settings
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