Electrocautery
What is Electrocautery?
Electrocautery is a medical procedure that uses a needle-like cautery, heated by an electric current, to address various skin abnormalities. The device is handheld and directly applied to the target area.
Why Choose Electrocautery?
Electrocautery is chosen for cosmetic reasons to treat specific skin conditions such as cherry hemangiomas, telangiectasias, and sebaceous hyperplasia. It offers minimal downtime, allowing individuals to resume daily activities immediately after treatment.
Procedure Overview:
1. Conducting the Procedure:
- The electrocautery device is applied to the skin, targeting individual abnormalities.
- The electrically heated needle cauterizes the area efficiently.
- To minimize discomfort, a topical numbing medication is often applied before the procedure.
- A small superficial burn is left at the treatment site.
- Within a day or two, a scab forms, which typically flakes away in 5 to 10 days.
- Daily use of a topical antibiotic aids in the healing process.
- Non-cancerous moles (excluding suspected or confirmed melanomas)
- Common skin tags
- Warts
- Small basal cell carcinomas (less than 0.2 inches in diameter)
- In situ squamous cell carcinoma
- Other miscellaneous lesions
- Seborrheic keratoses
Procedure Details:
- Typically performed on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia.
- Patients may feel a pushing sensation or pressure but should not experience pain.
- Electrosurgery coagulates tissue to prevent bleeding and eliminate remaining foreign cells.