only one. Power settings are also
potentially hazardous. "Your
power should be at the lowest
setting to achieve needed
results," says Dr. Jones. "You also
want to use shortest bursts of
energy. Don't just turn on a
device and keep it on, because
energy may start to scatter.
"Surgeons need to understand
how electrosurgery devices carry
energy and how the energy may
cause injury," says Dr. Jones. "If
they're not thinking about more
than just the on/off button, they'll
get themselves in trouble."
Increasing awareness
Drs. Jones and Robinson say
many surgeons and OR teams still
don't know enough about electro-
surgery safety, a continuing edu-
cational gap they find troubling.
According to Dr. Robinson,
electrosurgery safety isn't
taught in medical schools, and
that even surgical subspeciali-
ty training focuses mostly on
disease processes. "At this
point, there is no good formal
curriculum on the technology
used in operating rooms," he
says. "There's no curriculum
that instructs on the safe and
effective use of surgical ener-
gy, yet it can lead to this spec-
trum of complications that,
while not common in an indi-
vidual surgeon's practice, is
happening every day across
the country."
Both surgeons are proponents
of, and directly involved in, an
education program developed by
the Society of American
Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic
O
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