Lateral heat production secondary to electrosurgical incisions

Adverse healing responses, including necrosis of soft tissue and sequestration of alveolar bone, have been reported following the use of electrosurgery for intraoral incisions. These responses are usually attributed to excessive heat accumulation during the surgical procedure. The purpose of this investigation was to measure temperature changes in subadjacent connective tissue during intraoral electrosurgical incisions in palatal mucosa of miniature swine. Results indicate that single electrosurgical incisions should be accomplished at a speed of approximately 7 mm. per second and that successive incisions should be separated by a cooling interval of 8 to 10 seconds to avoid generation of heat sufficient to initiate an adverse healing response.