II. Mechanism
- Uses tissue moisture to vaporize tissue
- Removal, destruction, or cutting of tissue
- Uses high frequency (3.8 Million cycles/second)
- Step-up transformer increases voltage
- Electric oscillating circuit increases frequency
III. Advantages
- Safe for technician
- Device tip is cold
- Low voltage
- No Hypopigmentation
- Quick
- Bleeding control
- Sterilizes site
- Low risk of fibrous scar
- Minimal tissue damage
IV. Units
- Ellman Surgitron
- Cooper Surgical LEEP
- Valley Lab Force II
- Wallach Surgical Devices
- Circon (Cryomedics)
V. Equipment (in addition to units above)
- Mask (HPV, HIV risk)
- Gloves
- Hand wand and foot control
- Smoke evacuator (eliminates smell and viral particles)
- Room filter
VI. Technique
- Mark lesion for excision
- Inject Local Anesthesia at lesion
- Choose electrode tip
- Wire Loop electrode
- Wire electrode
- Ball electrode
- Set Wave form
- Cutting or Electrosection (most common setting)
- Background
- Fully rectified
- Fully filtered
- Least Heat, least tissue destruction
- Indications
- Raised lesions: Skin Tags, Pyogenic Granulomas
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Nevus resection (must cut full thickness)
- Background
- Cut and Coagulation blend
- Fully rectified
- Less heat than coagulation alone
- Indicated for cutting with minimal blood loss
- Coagulation
- Background
- Partially rectified
- More heat
- Most penetration and tissue damage
- Small ball tip (2-5 mm) applied
- Indications
- Clotting small blood vessels (Telangiectasias)
- Angiomas
- Background
- Electrodesiccation or Fulguration Indications
- Telangiectasias
- Spider Angiomas
- Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Condyloma, molluscum, verrucae
- Actinic Keratosis
- Cutting or Electrosection (most common setting)
- Set Voltage (2 is a typical setting)
- Lowest setting
VII. Complications
- Skin burns
- Electrical shocks
- HPV infection spread by smoke transmission
- Interference with implanted Pacemaker
- Eye Injury
VIII. Maintenance: Electrode tip care
- Sand paper (keep off carbon)
- Wet gauze while energized
- Ultrasonic cleaner for 3 minutes
- Cold sterilize versus autoclave
- Continue to reuse while wire is flexible
- If tip bends, dispose of it
IX. References
- (1999) NPI Conference, Las Vegas
- DeWitt in Pfenninger (1994) Procedures, p. 91-101
- Hainer (2002) Am Fam Physician 66(7):1259-66 [PubMed]
Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)
Related Studies
Definition (MSH) | The induction of local hyperthermia by either short radio waves or high-frequency sound waves. |
Concepts | Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure (T061) |
MSH | D003972 |
ICD9 | 93.34 |
SnomedCT | 428381003, 257796004, 261527006, 21825005 |
English | Diathermies, Diathermy, Electrosurgery, Diathermy technique, Diathermy - action (qualifier value), Diathermy - action, diathermy (treatment), diathermy, diathermy treatment, electrosurgery, electrocoagulation, Diathermy (procedure), Diathermy, NOS, Physical medicine diathermy treatment to one area |
Japanese | ジアテルミー療法, ジアテルミーリョウホウ |
Swedish | Diatermi |
Spanish | electrocoagulación - acción, diatermia - acción (calificador), diatermia - acción, diatermia, diatermia (procedimiento), diatermia terapéutica en un área del cuerpo, electrocoagulación - acción (calificador), Diatermia |
Czech | diatermie, Diatermie |
Finnish | Diatermia |
Russian | DIATERMIIA, ДИАТЕРМИЯ |
Croatian | DIJATERMIJA |
Polish | Diatermia |
Hungarian | Diathermia |
Norwegian | Diatermi |
Dutch | diathermie, Diathermie |
French | Diathermie |
German | Diathermie |
Italian | Diatermia |
Portuguese | Diatermia |