Electrosurgery is not a new technology, but its continual advancements and increasingly recognized benefits have led to electrosurgical devices being utilized more heavily now than ever before. Bovie, and electrosurgery, have been in practice for almost a century, and today electrosurgery is an important element of any surgeon's practice. With the advent of the well-informed patient who has access to unprecedented amounts of medical information, electrosurgery has grown in demand, making it an important source of revenue. Physicians can translate this demand into a profit by utilizing Bovie's Aaron 950 High Frequency Desiccator with Cut to treat a wide array of skin conditions.
The Aaron 950 by Bovie is used, to cut, coagulate, desiccate, or fulgurate biological tissueWith widespread applications for basic plastic surgery treatments such as eyelid tightening (Blepharoplasty) as well as a treatment for skin treatments like mole and lesion removal, many physicians are profiting from the use of electrosurgery as a go-to procedure for dermatological procedures. Patient benefits include precise incisions with reduced bleeding and less discomfort at the incision site, resulting in increased patient satisfaction as the physicians reap financial rewards. Commonly used for removal of skin tags and removal of benign skin tumors, trends indicate many dermatologists now prefer electrosurgery over laser and cryosurgery.
Common Uses
Cutting. The use of a fine electrode tip, which advances through tissue by creating pockets of steam, allows the operator to produce a smooth cut with minimal pressure.
Coagulate. In some circumstances, physicians will apply the electrode tip either directly or indirectly to a blood vessel in order to produce clotting. This works most effectively on vessels less than two (2) to three (3) millimeters in diameter. Electrocoagulation is effective in both deep and superficial surgery.
Desication. This term was first used in 1914 by William Clark to describe the destruction of tissue. He became the first American to routinely use this process to remove malignant growths of the skin, head, neck, breast, and cervix. Bovie improved these early processes, but electrodessication is still utilized for to remove skin growths. In a modern electrodessication procedure, an active electrode is either applied or inserted into the affected skin area in order to destroy the tissue targeted for removal.
Fulguration. Fulguration is an electrosurgial procedure used to treat skin conditions that are more superficial than those treated with electrodessication, such as a superficial basal cell carcinoma. In fulgration, the electrode is held away from the skin, and sparking produces a shallower tissue destruction than in a dessication.
Why Electrosurgery?
Electrosurgery is an evolving field, and its applications are expanding rapidly. Electrosurgical incisions show a comparable infection rate to those of scalpel, and lower post-surgical pain scores even in deep tissue procedures.1 Faster incision times and reduced blood loss are also factors that have contributed to the gain in popularity.
Electrosurgery for Skin Conditions
Electrosurgery is gaining recognition for its value in the treatment of skin conditions. It has replaced the scalpel in many procedures, including the removal of benign and malignant skin lesions, and the increasing awareness of the approach's benefits suggest that this role will only increase. Future trends may see electrode fully replace the scalpel in even deep surgical procedures as both patients and physicians opt for it in the operating room.
Now is the time for you to provide your patients with the many benefits of electrosurgery, while increasing your revenue.
References
1. Kearns SR, Connonlly EM, McNally S, et al. Randomized clinical trial of diathermy versus scalpel incision in elective midline laparotomy. Br J Surg 2001;88:41–44.
Image courtesy of tpsdave / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
