O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 5 3
E
nergy-
based
devices
are used
every day
in every case by every
general surgeon, and yet
much of what surgical
teams understand about
surgical energy is limited
to knowing that tissue is
cut or coagulated when-
ever electrosurgery instruments are activated. That widespread lack of knowl-
edge is why your surgeons, nurses and techs must answer these 4 questions
before each procedure to protect themselves and their patients from the very
real dangers of stray burns, surgical smoke inhalation and OR fires.
1. Is insulation intact?
As co-chair of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic
Surgeons' FUSE (Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy) program, I helped quiz
the surgeon leaders of SAGES about basic surgical energy science. Only 20% got
Stay Current on
Electrosurgery Safety
Don't let your patients
get burned by energy-
based technology.
Thomas Robinson,
MD, MS, FACS
Aurora, Colo.
• OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD
Surgical smoke is inevitable, but
smoke evacuation technology
should not be optional.
