
It has revolutionised the way I operate. Bleeding during surgery is kept to a minimum. Infact, it is rare for my patients to require blood transfusion even after major reconstruction surgery lasting 6-7 hours. The incidence for returning to theatre for an emergency evacuation of a haematoma (removing blood clot in the tissues) has decreased significantly, compared to the days when one used to use a knife throughout the operation. The downside of using a diathermy to perform the operation is the generation of heat in the tissues, which can cause thermal damage. To reduce this risk, I will often use it on low settings of 'pure' current- so that even if the diathermy tip accidentally touches my gloved finger, there is minimal heat and no burn. As a result of reducing bleeding during operations, the diathermy has made my dissections cleaner and faster, as the operating field is clear. Patients have benefitted too- less blood loss and reduced operation times means a quicker recovery after major surgery.