W
hen William T.
Bovie introduced
cauterization to
surgery 90 years ago, he empowered surgeons to
make precise cuts and to seal tissue and blood ves-
sels to rapidly clear the surgical field. The ability to cauterize also
spawned an insidious byproduct: surgical smoke.
Although it's easy to see and smell smoke, ridding the noxious, can-
cerous plumes from our ORs has proven difficult. For years, we accept-
ed inhaling surgical smoke as simply "part of the job." But today,
because we're aware of the many inherent risks, we understand the sit-
uation much differently. Awareness and understanding, however, are
7 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J a n u a r y 2 0 1 7
Burning Question
Burning Question
are you committed to keeping your Ors free of surgical smoke?
• NO SMOKING A surgical smoke-free facility could serve as a valuable recruitment and retention tool.
Mary J. Ogg, MSn, rn, CnOr
Denver, Colo.
