Electrosurgery and Laser Technology Vocabulary

This set of flashcards covers vocabulary related to electrosurgical components, laser systems, safety classifications, and tissue effects found in surgical technology practice.

Ablation

The complete destruction of tissue.

Active electrode

In electrosurgery, the point of the electrosurgical instrument that delivers current to tissue.

Argon

An inert gas used in electrosurgery to direct and shroud the electrical current.

Bipolar circuit

An electrosurgical circuit in which current travels from the power unit through an instrument containing two opposite poles in contact with the tissue and then returns directly to the energy source.

Capacitive coupling

A specific burn hazard of monopolar endoscopic surgery that occurs when current passes unintentionally through instrument insulation and adjacent conductive material into tissue.

Carbon dioxide

An inert gas used as a laser medium during laser surgery.

Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA)

An instrument that destroys tissue through the use of high-frequency sound waves ($ultrasound$).

Coagulum

A sticky, semiliquid substance that forms when tissue is altered by electrical or ultrasonic energy.

Cryoablation

A method of tissue destruction in which a probe is inserted into a tumor and high-pressure argon gas is injected, causing the surrounding tissue to freeze and eventually slough.

Cryosurgery

The use of extremely low temperature to destroy diseased tissue.

Cutting mode

In electrosurgery, the use of high voltage and relatively low frequency to cut through tissue.

Direct coupling

The transfer of electrical current from an active electrode to another conductive instrument by accident or as part of the electrosurgical process.

Electrosurgery

The direct use of electricity to cut and coagulate tissue.

Electrosurgical unit (ESU)

The power generator and control source in the electrosurgical system.

Electrosurgical vessel sealing

A type of bipolar electrosurgery in which tissue is welded together using low-voltage, low-temperature, high-frequency current.

Eschar

Charred tissue created by a high-voltage current.

Excimer

A type of lasing energy that is created when electrons are removed from the lasing medium.

Fulguration

A process of tissue surface destruction used in electrosurgery.

Holmium:YAG

A solid crystal lasing medium that penetrates a wide variety of substances, including renal and biliary stones and soft tissue.

Impedance

The constriction of electrical current by a nonconductive material.

Implanted electronic device (IED)

An electronic device such as a pacemaker or internal defibrillator that monitors and corrects physiological conditions; electrosurgery may interfere with its function.

Laser

Acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.

Laser classifications

Industry and international system for grading laser energy according to its ability to cause injury.

Laser head

The component of the laser system that holds the laser medium.

Laser medium

A solid or gas that is sensitive to atomic excitation by an energy source, which creates intense laser light and energy.

Monopolar circuit

A continuous path of electricity that flows from the electrosurgical unit to the active electrode, through the patient to the patient return electrode, and then back to the electrosurgical unit.

Nonconductive

The quality of a substance that resists the transfer of electrons and therefore electrical current.

Optical resonant cavity

The component of a laser system in which the lasing medium is contained, and light is transformed.

Patient return electrode (PRE)

A conductive pad, also called a dispersive electrode, that captures electricity and shunts it safely out of the body back to the electrosurgical unit.

Phacoemulsification

The destruction of cataracts using ultrasound technology.

Potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP)

A low-power lasing medium that produces a very small diameter beam well suited to microsurgery.

Pulsed-wave lasers

Lasers that apply the laser light intermittently to the target tissue, also known as Q-switched lasers.

Radiant exposure

In laser technology, the combination of the concentration of laser energy and the length of time tissue is exposed to it.

Radiofrequency

Electromagnetic energy in the area of radio transmission used in electrosurgery to produce the desired surgical effect.

Return electrode monitor alarm (REM)

A safety system that transmits continuous feedback on the quality of impedance in the PRE and stops current when it becomes dangerously high.

Selective absorption

The absorption of a lasing medium into tissue being lased, according to its color and density.

Smoke plume

Toxic smoke emitted by tissue during electrosurgery and laser surgery containing dead and living cells, hydrogen cyanide, and organic particles.

Ultrasonic energy

High-frequency energy created by vibration or excitation of molecules that destroys tissue by breaking molecular bonds.

Argon gas laser

A visible blue-green beam that is absorbed by red-brown pigmented tissue, such as hemoglobin.

Carbon dioxide laser

A laser beam invisible to the human eye that has a high affinity for water and functions at a superficial depth.

Nd:YAG laser

A laser beam with a high affinity for tissue protein but little for water, holding the greatest ability to coagulate blood vessels.

Class 4 Laser

Laser category containing most surgical lasers; can cause permanent eye damage if viewed directly or indirectly and may ignite materials or cause skin burns.

Excimer laser

Produces a cool beam by stripping electrons from the atoms of the medium to stimulate short bursts of light through fiberoptic bundles.