Thermal effects on nervous human tissues under electro or laser surgery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neurosurgery
• Thermal Medicine

Background:

• Accurate temperature monitoring is crucial for minimizing thermal injury during neurosurgical interventions.
• Electrosurgical units and lasers are commonly used for tissue ablation, but their thermal effects require careful evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the temperature distribution in nervous tissue following thermal ablation using electrosurgery and laser devices.
• To compare the thermal spread of monopolar and bipolar electrosurgery with CO2, Argon, and Nd:YAG lasers.

Main Methods:

• Experiments were conducted using electrosurgical units (monopolar and bipolar modes) and laser beams (CO2, Argon, Nd:YAG).
• Temperature measurements were taken at varying distances from the heated point on the surface and at a depth of 2 mm.

Main Results:

• Superficial temperatures at 2 mm from the heated point ranged from 100°C (monopolar) to 15°C (bipolar), 8°C (CO2), 6°C (Argon), and 10°C (Nd:YAG).
• Temperature increase was significantly reduced at a depth of 2 mm below the target point for all tested modalities.

Conclusions:

• Different electrosurgical and laser modalities exhibit distinct thermal profiles in nervous tissue.
• The limited temperature rise at depth suggests a reduced risk of deeper thermal damage, though superficial temperatures vary considerably.