Cautery

Cautery is a medical technique used to stop bleeding and destroy or remove tissue by applying heat or chemical agents. The term cautery derives from the Greek kauterion, meaning to burn, and historically referred to the use of a heated instrument to burn tissue.

There are several methods of cautery. Thermal or hot cautery uses a heated metal instrument to burn tissue. Electrocautery uses electrical current passed through an active electrode to generate heat at the tissue interface, often aided by a dispersive pad. Chemical cautery applies caustic chemicals such as silver nitrate to achieve coagulation or necrosis. Laser cautery uses focused light energy to cut or coagulate tissue with high precision.

The primary effect of cautery is coagulation of proteins in cells and blood vessels, leading to sealing of small vessels and tissue destruction where necessary. In electrocautery, current density and waveform influence the depth of penetration. Proper grounding and isolation reduce the risk of unintended burns or electrical interference.

Cautery is used across medical disciplines. It is commonly employed to control bleeding during surgery, to excise or debulk lesions in dermatology, to remove warts, to treat recurrent nosebleeds, and to perform minor procedures in ophthalmology, dentistry, and ENT.

Safety considerations include the risk of burns, damage to adjacent structures, scar formation, and infection. Electrical cautery can interfere with pacemakers and other implants; flammable materials and oxygen-rich environments pose additional hazards. Clinicians select cautery type and settings based on tissue, location, and desired depth of effect.

History and development date back to ancient times with hot cautery, advancing in the 19th and 20th centuries with the introduction of electric and laser devices, which allow greater control and precision in medical procedures.