Electrosurgery in the Gastrointestinal Suite Knowledge Is Power

Electrosurgery allows both cutting and coagulation of tissue and is an essential tool for therapeutic endoscopy. Electrosurgery is also the most commonly used and misunderstood technology by all surgical and medical disciplines. In other words, everyone uses it, but few understand it! The aims of this article are to (1) present a useful review of the fundamentals of electrosurgery technology; (2) relate the fundamentals to commonly performed flexible endoscopy procedures; and (3) provide a review of the safe application of grounding pads, careful management of accessories, and special patient safety considerations.