electrocautery

surgical procedure

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July 17, 2026

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Electrocautery is a medical procedure that involves cauterizing tissue using an instrument heated by an electric current. This technique is a form of electrosurgery, which utilizes diathermy for surgical purposes. The term "electrosurgical" describes anything related to or performed by means of electrosurgery. Electrocautery has been in use since at least 1860.123

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surgery
Present-day surgery
…may also be controlled by electrocautery, the use of an instrument heated with an electric current to cauterize, or burn, vessel tissue. The most commonly used instruments in surgery are still the scalpel (knife), hemostatic forceps, flexible tissue-holding forceps, wound retractors for exposure, crushing and noncrushing clamps for intestinal and…
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…may also be controlled by electrocautery, the use of an instrument heated with an electric current to cauterize, or burn, vessel tissue. The most commonly used instruments in surgery are still the scalpel (knife), hemostatic forceps, flexible tissue-holding forceps, wound retractors for exposure, crushing and noncrushing clamps for intestinal and…
Read More