Electrocautery is a common surgical technique and is often used during shoulder arthroplasty to elevate or transect the subscapularis tendon. The relative amount of tissue damage caused by cautery as ...opposed to sharp transection is not currently known. The purpose of this study was to examine local tissue damage resulting from electrocautery vs. sharp transection with a scalpel. We hypothesized that the electrosurgical unit would cause higher collateral tissue damage and cell death compared with sharp transection.
Twelve cadaveric ovine shoulders were randomized to either the electrosurgical or sharp transection group. The infraspinatus tendon was isolated, and a partial-thickness transection was made using either a monopolar electrosurgical device (Bovie) or No. 10 scalpel blade. Tendon explants were then visualized with confocal microscopy to evaluate tissue architecture. A live/dead assay was performed using microscopy imaging analysis software. Comparisons between Bovie and scalpel transection were made using the Mann-Whitney U test, and the cell death percentage at standardized distances from the transection site was compared between groups using a mixed-model analysis. Significance was defined at P < .05.
The cellular and tendon fibril architecture was well maintained beyond the scalpel transection site, whereas Bovie transection disrupted the architecture beyond its transection path. The percentage of dead cells in the Bovie group (74.9% ± 31.2%) was significantly higher than that in the scalpel group (27.6% ± 29.9%, P = .0004). Compared with the transection site, the cell death percentage after Bovie transection significantly declined at 2.5 mm whereas that after scalpel transection significantly declined at 1 mm from the transection site.
There was a significantly higher dead cell percentage in the Bovie transection group, indicating extensive damage beyond the local incision site, compared with sharp transection. Electrosurgical transection of the ovine infraspinatus tendon ex vivo caused higher cell death and greater tissue architecture disruption compared with sharp scalpel transection.
Electrosurgical unit (ESU) is integral to the endoscopy unit. The proper knowledge of the Mode with setting is essential for good therapeutic outcomes and the safety of the patients.
ESU generates ...high-frequency electric current, which could perform cutting and coagulation for various therapeutic interventions. We review the proper settings for common endoscopic interventions like hemostasis, polypectomy, sphincterotomy, and advanced procedures like endoscopic ultrasound-guided cysto-gastrostomy, bile duct drainage, and endoscopic Ampullectomy. We review the various waveforms of ESU in practice in endoscopy, including special conditions like patients with pacemakers.
Knowledge of the waveforms' duty cycle and crest factor is necessary. A high-duty cycle and lower crest factor lead to a good cutting effect on the tissue. Endocut is the most commonly used Mode in ESU in endoscopic practices like sphincterotomy and polypectomy. Endocut I mode (effect 1-2, duration 3, interval 3) is used for endoscopic sphincterotomy, while Forced Coag mode (Effect 2, 60 W) controls post-sphincterotomy bleeding. Endocut Q mode (Effect 2-3, duration 1, interval 3) is used for cutting the polyp, while Forced Coag mode (Effect 2, 60 W) is used before cutting for pre-coagulation of the stalk.
Objectives/Hypothesis
To compare rates of post‐tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) between a very‐low energy transfer monopolar technique (VLET) and standard energy techniques.
Study Design
Retrospective ...controlled cohort study.
Methods
All tonsillectomies performed by practice physicians during the period January 1, 2010 to August 31, 2019 were identified. Three groups were created based on surgeon technique utilization: the study group (VLET) and two control groups (exclusive standard energy monopolar Standard; exclusive “hot” technique without exclusive monopolar use Mixed “Hot”). Each group's PTH occurrences requiring surgical intervention (PTHRSI) were identified and rates compared.
Results
During the study period 11,348 tonsillectomies were performed (4,427 Standard, 1,374 VLET, 5,547 Mixed “Hot”), and 167 (1.47%) PTHRSI events identified (14 primary (<24 hours), 153 secondary (>24 hours), 12 repeat (>1PTHRSI/patient). Compared to the Standard group secondary and total PTHRSI rates (1.47%, 1.60%), the Mixed “Hot” group experienced similar rates (1.57%, P = .54; 1.68%, P = .64), but the VLET group experienced significantly lower rates (0.15%, P = .0026, adjusted odds ratio OR 0.114 0.028–0.469; 0.22%, P = .0016, adjusted OR 0.155 0.048–0.494). Age was a significant risk factor for both secondary and total PTHRSI (P = .0025, P = .0024, adjusted OR 1.02/year 1.01–1.03). No significant difference in rate of primary PTHRSI was seen collectively or in any age group. The <12VLET Group experienced 0 episodes of secondary PTHRSI and a total PTHRSI rate of 0.09% in 1060 tonsillectomies.
Conclusions
Standard energy techniques had an adjusted odds ratio over 8‐fold higher for secondary PTHRSI and over 6‐fold higher for total PTHRSI compared to the minimized energy transfer VLET technique.
Level of Evidence
3 Laryngoscope, 131:2505–2511, 2021
Successful thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for type B aortic dissections (TBAD) relies on securing the stentgraft's distal landing zone to prevent retrograde flow and false lumen ...pressurization. We describe a 60-year-old male with a TBAD undergoing TEVAR with electrocautery-wire fenestration of the dissection septum, providing a controlled method to enhance the distal landing zone for graft placement. Postoperatively, the patient experienced spinal cord ischemia, resolving with the placement of a lumbar drain and increasing mean arterial pressures. Follow-up imaging demonstrated a well-sealed repair without endoleaks. This case highlights the importance of surgical technique selection and postoperative monitoring for complications.
Endoscopic decompression is considered a first-line treatment for symptomatic pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs). A lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) with an electrocautery-enhanced delivery system ...electrocautery-enhanced lumen-apposing metal stent (ELAMS) may facilitate this procedure. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of ELAMS in the management of symptomatic PFCs.
A multicenter, nonblinded, prospective, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, investigational device exemption clinical trial was conducted. Enrollment criteria included symptomatic PFCs ≥6 cm with ≥70% fluid fraction. Subjects were followed prospectively for safety, efficacy, and resolution of the collections. Primary endpoint success was defined as ≥50% reduction in PFC size. Clinical outcomes were compared with our previously published series of LAMS without the cautery-enhanced delivery system.
The target enrollment of 30 patients was achieved in 7 US tertiary care centers. All patients underwent successful placement of the ELAMS. The mean procedure duration, stent placement time, and fluoroscopy exposures were 28.1±12.5, 5.8±2.6, and 1.8±1.6 minutes, respectively. Eight patients had no fluoroscopy. The primary endpoint was achieved in 83.3% of patients. Two adverse events were attributed to the ELAMS: 1 bleeding upon stent removal and 1 stent migration. Relative to the comparator noncautery LAMS multicenter trial (N=33, 8 tertiary centers), there was a significantly shorter procedure duration 36 min ( P <0.001) with similar technical and clinical outcomes in the ELAMS cohort.
LAMS placed using an electrocautery delivery system significantly reduce procedure duration and were safe and effective in the management of symptomatic PFCs.
Electrocautery with a snare probe offers a tool for the treatment of endobronchial polyps. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of the snare probe in patients undergoing rigid ...bronchoscopy due to central airway obstruction.
This retrospective descriptive study included patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy with an electrocautery snare probe for the diagnosis and/or treatment of endobronchial polyps in an interventional pulmonology unit.
The mean age of the 47 patients (38 men) with endobronchial polypoid lesions was 61.5 years. Six lesions (12.8%) were located in the trachea, 6 (12.8%) in the right main bronchus, 11 (23.4%) in the left main bronchus, and 24 (51.1%) in the lobar bronchi. Twenty-eight lesions (59.5%) were malignant. Prior to the procedure, 6 (12.8%) patients had grade 1 obstruction, 6 (12.8%) had grade 2 obstruction, 15 (31.9%) had grade 3 obstruction, and 20 (42.6%) had grade 4 obstruction. In terms of airway obstruction after the procedure, grade 1 was present in 46 (97.9%) patients and grade 2 was present in 1 (2.1%) patient. No major complication developed in 93.6% of the patients. During a mean follow-up period of 48 months, 85.1% of the patients did not experience recurrence.
Our results demonstrate that the snare probe can be used to effectively and reliably establish airway patency in patients with central airway obstruction due to endobronchial polypoid lesions.
We retrospectively compared the use of a stapler and electrocautery for division of the intersegmental plane during pulmonary segmentectomy.
We enrolled 156 patients who underwent pulmonary ...segmentectomy in our department between March 2006 and August 2020. The patients were divided into electrocautery (n=62) and stapler (n=94) groups based on the device used to divide the intersegmental plane. Patient characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and ratios of actual (calculated using software) to predicted (calculated by counting the resected segments) lung volumes were compared between the two groups. Additionally, we used multivariate analysis to identify the factors that contributed to the incidence of postoperative air leakage after cut-off value was set by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Moreover, a subset analysis was performed based on the type of segmentectomy (common or uncommon). Common segmentectomies included resection of the basilar or superior segment of the lower lobe, or lingular or upper division of the left upper lobe; all other segmentectomies were classified as uncommon.
Compared to the electrocautery group, the stapler group had shorter operative times (P=0.0027), duration of postoperative drainage (P=0.00037), and duration of postoperative hospitalization (P=0.0021). Moreover, incidence of postoperative ≥3 days drainage was significantly reduced in the stapler group (P=0.003). There were no significant differences between the stapler and electrocautery groups in the actual:predicted lung volumes at 6 months (1.01 and 1.04, respectively; P=0.28) or 12 months (1.06 and 1.07, respectively; P=0.68) after surgery. Preoperative lung volume was significantly correlated with preoperative vital capacity (VC) (γ=0.69; P<0.001) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV
) (γ=0.48; P<0.001). The multivariate analysis indicated that the use of stapler for division of intersegmental plane was the only factor that contributed to reducing the incidence of postoperative ≥3 days drainage (P=0.0027, odds ratio: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.086-0.597). In a subset analysis of uncommon segmentectomy, there were no significant differences among the groups in most perioperative results.
Compared to electrocautery, the use of a stapler for division of the intersegmental plane was associated with better perioperative outcomes, especially reduction of postoperative drainage time, and similar postoperative remnant lung volumes and function.
Despite the usefulness of pterional craniotomy (PC), its cosmetic outcome is questionable. Electrocautery (EC) causes injuries to adjacent structures, and it could be a factor that affects the ...cosmetic outcome. Evaluation of cosmetic outcome is difficult because it is often determined by patient's subjective criteria. The objective of this study is to compare the cosmetic outcome after EC versus non-electrocautery (NEC) dissection of the temporalis muscle for PC by analyzing long-term follow-up data determined from both physician and patient's aspects.
Patients at follow-ups between January 2014 and April 2021 after PCs were enrolled. The keyhole (KH) site, the inferior margin of the temporal line of the frontal bone (ITL), the mid-temporal (mid-T) area, and the posterior incision line (PIL) were inspected by a physician to check the presence of depressions. Patient's cosmetic satisfaction was categorized into satisfactory, intermediate, or unsatisfactory by a survey. The presence of osteolysis was checked from the radiological images. Patients were classified into two groups; one with EC dissection and another with NEC retrograde dissection using a double-ended dissector.
The incidences of depression at the mid-T area and osteolysis were higher in the EC group (p=0.001, p＜0.001). The percentage of satisfactory cosmetic outcome was lower in the EC group (p=0.002). The presences of depression at the mid-T area and osteolysis were related with lower rate of satisfactory outcomes (p＜0.001, p＜0.001). Conclusions: NEC dissection causes less destruction to adjacent structures and brings better cosmetic outcome after PC.
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