Uses of Radiofrequency in Dermatosurgery

1.Removal of skin tags, warts, seborrheic keratosis (harmless skin growths), syringoma (harmless tumours within sweat glands), and trichoepithelioma (harmless tumours within the hair follicle).
2.Removal of melanocytic nevi (brown moles), telangiectasia’s (thread veins), early skin tumours.
3. Skin biopsies and grafts.
4. Resurfacing of scars (chicken pox, acne etc.).
5. Primary resection of keloids (thick, raised scars).
6. Debulking of skin tumours.
7. Depilation.
8. Resurfacing in case of Rhinophyma, Darier’s disease etc.
9. Blepharoplasty.
10. Hair restoration surgery: scalp reduction, scalp lifting, scalp flaps.
11. Excision of plantar fibromata (warts on the feet – verruca’s)

12.Non-ablative face lift.
13.Many studies have shown radio wave surgery to be superior to laser incisions and comparable to scalpel incision.

Procedure

Radiofrequency surgery involves the passage of radio waves (frequency of 1.5 to 4.5 MHz) into the skin to perform removal or reshaping of a lesion. The most common frequency used is 4 MHz’s.

The radio waves are generated by a radiosurgery unit, that creates a very high-frequency radio wave. The radio-surgical unit consists of an electrode, a ground plate and a transformer.

The ground plate or antenna is plastic coated and is typically placed under the patient. The “patient electrode” appears like a little loop and is held by the operating surgeon throughout the procedure. Differing kinds of electrodes are used depending on the kind of lesion e.g. fine needle electrode, wire loop electrode, scalpel blade electrode etc.

The cut should be touched with the tip of the electrode. It generates little heat as compared to standard electro-cautery. This leads to negligible collateral damage, leading to quicker healing and minimal scarring. The radio waves travel from an electrode tip to the lesion and come back to the unit through the ground plate. Once radio energy passes between the ground plate and the patient electrode, it’s concentrated at the electrode end, leading to the discharge of energy, which produces steam within the cells, so vaporising them and dividing the tissues. This happens as a result of heat created by the tissue resistance to the passage of a high-frequency wave. The heat makes the intracellular water boil and thereby will increase the cell inner pressure to the point of breaking it from the inside to the outside. This phenomenon is named a cellular volatilisation.

Unlike with electro cautery, the electrode remains cold and no electrical contact must be created between the patient and the ground plate.

What should you do after a RadioSurgery operation?

It is important that you follow the advice of your doctor carefully once any radiosurgery treatment to help to confirm the success of the procedure and reduce the chance of complications.

Post-treatment recommendations may include :
• Keeping the area clean and dry for two – three days following treatment.
• Contacting your practitioner instantly if you notice any signs of infection or if you experience serious bleeding or increase in pain.