Wound Healing and the Shaw Scalpel

Comparative Healing of Surgical Incisions Created by the PEAK PlasmaBlade, Conventional Electrosurgery, and a Scalpel

“…However, its primary disadvantage is bleeding; consequently, numerous electrosurgical devices have been developed to provide hemostasis. Although hemostasis is improved, electrosurgical devices suffer from thermal damage to surrounding tissues, inferior wound healing, and poor cosmesis, 4,5,7,9,10,12 which limit their realm of applications.…”

“…4 -12 Consequently, a number of new electrosurgical technologies have been introduced, such as insulated cutting electrodes, ultrasonic blades, and feedback-controlled radiofrequency generators. [5][6][7][8][9]12 Some of these developments have demonstrated incremental improvements in reducing the thermal damage while preserving hemostatic ability. However, substantial room for improvement remains in electrosurgical technology that can approach the surgical precision and favorable wound-healing characteristics of the scalpel while also providing hemostasis.…”

Comparison of Radiofrequency and Electrocautery With Conventional Scalpel Incisions

“…Hemostasis is an issue when operating on highly vascular tissues such as the oral cavity. [1][2][3] In electrosurgery, currents are generated via electrical energy passed through the tissue to obtain a controlled surgical effect. As electrical currents pass through tissues, they generate heat when they meet resistance from the tissue.…”

Comparative Healing of Rat Fascia Following Incision with Three Surgical Instruments

“…Central to their design is the use of continuous-waveform radiofrequency (RF) energy, delivered via an uninsulated metal electrode, to cut tissue by thermal ablation, thus producing a simultaneous hemostatic effect [3,4]. While prized for hemostatic control and dissection capability, conventional electrosurgical devices are associated with significant thermal damage to incised tissues, low surgical precision with the potential for injury to adjacent structures (eg, bowel, nerves, blood vessels), and delayed wound healing [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”