Use of the Shaw Scalpel in pacemaker operations

Pacemaker carriers are at risk when undergoing operations involving the use of diathermy. The Shaw Scalpel utilizes a method by which the cutting edge of the blade is heated to a selected temperature that seals blood vessels as they are cut. No electrical currents are passed to or through the patient and there is no sparking or electrical arcing to the tissue. This apparatus was used as the sole method of thermal coagulation in 20 patients undergoing replacement of pacemaker batteries.