ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the aim and the background of the diathermy. It provides safety considerations of the diathermy. The chapter uses an electrical current to establish haemostasis and/or permanent scarring. Units may be ‘monopolar’ or ‘bipolar’. Monopolar units require a skin plate as the second electrode (the first being at the tip of the instrument) and tend to be more destructive and less precise. Bipolar units comprise forceps, where the tips are the electrodes. Most units use bipolar diathermy for haemostasis. Monopolar ‘cutting cautery’ may be used in oculoplastic practice, frequently as a disposable ‘hot-rod’ high-resistance wire loop.
