Coagulation devices are used primarily to control bleeding. They can also be used to burn (and thereby destroy) tissue, such as during a tubal ligation (2-3 sites along the fallopian tube are grasped with a bipolar coagulation device and the tissue between the paddles is completely burned so as to destroy the tube’s patency and function).
The bipolar instrument’s electrodes, between which electrical energy is passed, may be in the form of paddles (for a broader area of coagulation) or needle tips (for a smaller area of coagulation). The bipolar instrument is connected to a power generator with an electrical cord and (on-off) control of the device is most often via a foot pedal (controlled by the operating surgeon).
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