During Surgery
Instructions for Use
Force 2 User’s Guide 4-7
Typical Power Settings
The power level used for various surgical procedures varies considerably
with the surgeon's technique and the size of the active electrode. A needle
electrode requires less power to sustain a spark than a large ball electrode.
One surgeon may perform a procedure by electrosurgically severing
tissue with a cutting or blended waveform while another surgeon might
perform the same procedure by using a coag waveform at a lower power
level.
A general outline of typical power settings for various surgical
procedures:
Low Power – Under 30W
• Neurosurgery (both bipolar and monopolar)
• Laparoscopic sterilization (both monopolar and bipolar)
• Vasectomies
• Dermatology
• Oral surgery
• Plastic surgery
Medium Power – coag 30W to 70W, cut 30W to 150W
• General surgery
• Laparotomies
• Head and neck surgery (ENT)
• Major orthopedic surgery
• Major vascular surgery
• Routine thoracic surgery
• Polypectomy
High Power – coag over 70W, cut over 150W
• Thoracotomies (heavy fulguration, 70W to 75W)
• Ablative cancer surgery, mastectomies, etc. (cut 180W to 200W; coag
70W to 75W).
If the proper setting is not known from personal experience, one should
set the generator at a very low setting and cautiously increase power until
the desired effect is achieved.
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