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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
When it comes to the future of electrosurgery, I
believe the biggest improvements we can make
have less to do with improving devices and more
to do with education. In fact, studies have shown
that the knowledge level of practitioners — includ-
ing those trying to teach others — is actually pretty
poor.
There's often a dangerous assumption that sur-
geons can just pick up an electrosurgical device
and immediately know how to use it. But when you query surgeons and look at operative
notes in cases where injuries have occurred, generally it's not the result of a bad instrument
or a mechanical failure. Rather, it's a failure to appreciate some of the risks.
These revelations have helped lead to the creation of one of the best available sources for
education for practitioners, the FUSE (Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy) program (fuse-
program.org). In addition to providing educational resources, the website can be used to
assess the understanding and application of basic principles associated with electrosurgery.
For those who'd like to test their knowledge, the site includes a test during which participants
have 90 minutes to answer 80 multiple-choice questions.
We're also working to improve understanding of the fundamentals of energy by develop-
ing modules through AAGL (the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists).
Complications in electrosurgery are never going to go away entirely. You can't engineer
them out entirely, because at the end of the day the person wielding the instrument is
responsible. But I think if companies made additional efforts to invest in the education of
physicians, they'd be able to worry less about complications. Education is even a factor where
surgical smoke is concerned, because the amount of smoke generated is partially a byprod-
uct of how, and how well, you use the instrument. A less than optimal instrument configura-
tion can end up generating much more smoke. — Arnold Advincula, MD, FACOG, FACS
GET SMART
Education May Be the Best Investment
z IN THE KNOW Dr. Advincula believes better
education of surgeons would go a long way
toward improving electrosurgery safety.
