Monopolar current, with particular attention to hook dissection in laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Monopolar current has been part of surgical practice for decades. The introduction of laparoscopic surgery has led to new developments in electrosurgery, in instrumentation and in operative techniques. The hook electrode is a device specially created for laparoscopic surgery. Some essentials of modern electrosurgery and the technique of the hook electrode are reviewed, with special emphasis on its use during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.