Studies of the origin of skin burns during electrocautery based on multi-component plasma fluid model

Background: Electrocautery and Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC) are modes of thermal tissue destruction frequently recognized as a less expensive alternative to laser therapy. However, there are certain safety challenges concerning the use of electrosurgery and burns are the most common. According data found in the literature, burns have accounted for 70% of the injuries during use of electrocautery. The risk of complications is often linked to the surgeon's fundamental knowledge of instruments, surgical technique, safe technical equipment, etc. This study is focusing on sparking enhanced burns as a complication of monopolar electrocautery.Methods: The onset of sparking between cylinder-cone electrode arrangement has been studied by using software package COMSOL based on the multi-component plasma fluid model. The primary goal was to determine location where sparking starts as one of the extremely important factors for the formation of burns during electrocautery.Results: Upon applying voltage, electrons are accelerated by the electric field and multiplied in cascade ionization leading to breakdown and consequently to sparking. For cylinder-cone electrode configuration, sparking occurs on the cone tip. Also, electrical sparks do not occur equally in both directions between active and passive electrodes bringing electrical asymmetries into consideration.Conclusion: Results, presented here, can be very useful both for developing new instrument designs and surgeon's better understanding the effect of sparking on the human body in order to prevent complications of electrocautery procedures.