Electrosurgical Skin Resurfacing: A New Bipolar Instrument

Background. Numerous modalities may be used for skin resurfacing, including chemical peels, dermabrasion, and lasers. Each of these methods is associated with significant disadvantages. Objective. The purpose of these initial studies was to determine the efficacy and safety of a new electrosurgical...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Dermatologic surgery 1999-07, Vol.25 (7), p.582-586
Main Authors: Burns, Robert L., Carruthers, Alastair, Langtry, James A., Trotter, Martin J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Dermabrasion - instrumentation
Dermatologic Surgical Procedures
Electrocoagulation - instrumentation
Facial Neoplasms - pathology
Facial Neoplasms - surgery
Feasibility Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Mohs Surgery
Postoperative Complications - pathology
Postoperative Complications - surgery
Skin - pathology
Skin Neoplasms - pathology
Skin Neoplasms - surgery
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background. Numerous modalities may be used for skin resurfacing, including chemical peels, dermabrasion, and lasers. Each of these methods is associated with significant disadvantages. Objective. The purpose of these initial studies was to determine the efficacy and safety of a new electrosurgical resurfacing system. Depth of cutaneous injury was also evaluated. Methods. Postoperative scar resurfacing was performed on six patients in the initial feasibility study. Patients were evaluated with questionnaires, physician observations, and photographs. The histologic investigation evaluated depth of injury after resurfacing at various power settings and number of passes. Results. Appearance of postoperative scars in all 6 patients was improved by electrosurgical resurfacing. The overall injury, residual thermal damage plus ablation, for all power levels and passes was 114.1 μm (mean) with a standard deviation of 60.7 μm. Conclusion. Electrosurgical resurfacing may become an effective and safe alternative to current resurfacing modalities.
ISSN:1076-0512
1524-4725
DOI:10.1046/j.1524-4725.1999.98239.x