Photograph of a uterus following removal of several subserosal myomas. Complete hemostasis is achieved with bipolar cautery. Biopolar coagulation theoretically only cauterizes tissue between the paddles of the bipolar instrument; however, this photograph clearly shows a halo of white (heated and burned) tissue around the areas of cautery and char. Tremendous care must be exercised even with bipolar cautery to avoid burn injury to surrounding tissue. In this case, the most important structure protect from inadvertent burn injury is the left fallopian tube that is adjacent to one of the myoma sites.
|
|