What Does ESU Stand For? – Electrosurgical Unit

What Does ESU Stand For?

Electrosurgical Unit

Innovation

Historically, for thousands of years, surgeries have been performed without anesthesia and with a knife. Since 1840 anesthesia has been implemented to help reduce patient pain. The scalpel had replaced the knife for cleaner cuts. Antiseptics have also been used to kill bacteria and prevent infections. The ESU has been used with each of these technologies for safer surgeries. The heat of the tool cuts through tissue more precisely than a scalpel does. The coagulating feature allows for the tissue to heal better, and faster than with stitches or surgical glue. ESU stands for electrosurgical unit. These units use high-frequency alternating polarity electrical current to cut, coagulate, desiccate, or fulgurate tissue.

About ESUs

Electrosurgical devices can make precise cuts with limited blood loss. ESUs can operate on either monopolar or bipolar energy with specialized instruments. In Bipolar electrosurgery, the current only passes through the tissue between two arms of the forceps-shaped electrodes, much like a pair of tweezers. In monopolar electrosurgery the current passes through the probe electrode, to the tissue, through the patient, to return to a metal pad below which completes the electrical circuit. Keep reading to learn more about ESUs!

Bipolar Electrosurgery

Bipolar electrosurgery uses lower voltages, so less energy is required. This type of ESU has limited ability to cut and coagulate large bleeding areas and is ideally used for procedures where tissues can be easily grabbed by forceps electrodes. Because the current in the patient is restricted, it helps give better control over the area being targeted and helps prevent damage to other sensitive tissues. The risk of patient burns is significantly reduced when utilizing a bipolar electrosurgical device. The past of the electrical current is limited to the tissue between the two electrodes, it can be used on patients with implanted devices to prevent electrical currents from passing through the device which can cause a short-circuit or misfire. To avoid complications it is important to review the manual for the implanted medical device before performing any electrosurgery.

Monopolar Electrosurgery

Monopolar electrosurgery can be used for several modalities including cut, blend, desiccation, and fulguration. Using a pencil-type instrument the electrode is placed in the entry site to be used for cutting tissue or coagulate bleeding. A return electrode pad is attached to the patient so the current flows from the generator to the electrode, through the target tissue, and to the return pad back to the generator. Monopolar electrosurgery is most commonly used because of its effectiveness in surgery.

Popular ESU

Force Triad

The Covidien Force Triad energy platform is a full-featured electrosurgical system that provides electrosurgical cutting, coagulation, bipolar functionality, and vessel sealing in a single generator. Soma Technology not only technically refurbishes these units but also cosmetically refurbishes them. Our Refurbished Force Triads undergo an extensive refurbishment process. When the units come into our facility they are tested by an in-house team of certified biomedical engineers and if necessary parts are replaced and calibrated back to OEM specifications so they work like new. Then the unit goes to our cosmetics department where minor scrapes and dents are repaired, and it’s repainted. Once the unit is working and looking like new it undergoes a final quality check to ensure everything is in working order before being labeled patient-ready and packaged up for shipment.

Are you looking for Force Traid parts? Our medical parts department would be more than happy to assist you with your needs. Send an email to [email protected] or visit our website at SomaMedicalParts.com

Final Thoughts

Is there a special type of anesthesia machine that your anesthesiologists use to administer before the surgeon uses the ESU? Did you know that we have a variety of anesthesia machines ideal for both inpatient and outpatient procedures? Do you have a favorite type of ESU? Comment below!