Megadyne has announced a new range of E-Z Clean® Modified Electrodes featuring enhanced polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) insulation, designed in response to surgeon concern for thermal injuries during electrosurgery.

Electrosurgery is the preferred method used to cut, coagulate, desiccate, and destroy tissue. During this procedure, high frequencies of electrical currents are passed from active electrodes through the body to heat tissues for treatment. Due to such high frequencies of electrical currents passing through, active electrodes can get very hot during surgery. "If the electrode insulation fails to withstand the heat, it can split back and expose the active electrode. In turn, the active electrode can come into contact with human tissue and burn the patient," Michael Hintze, Megadyne Vice President of Marketing, explained to DOTmed.

Surgeons have expressed several concerns with patient burns from surgical complications associated with such insulation failure. Concerns expressed by surgeons prompted Megadyne's development of electrodes with PTFE insulation. The enhanced PTFE insulation resists temperatures up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit, reducing insulation failure during operations.
The new Modified Electrodes are designed specifically for monopolar electrosurgery and are compatible with all standard hand pieces. Each Modified Electrode features Megadyne's trademarked and proprietary Green E-Z Clean PTFE coating to save surgeons time. Compared to stainless steel tips that require stopping during procedures to repeatedly scrape off eschar build-up, Megadyne's non-stick E-Z Clean PTFE green tips resist eschar build-up and result in fewer interruptions during procedures.

"Our core area of focus remains the research and innovation of safe surgical technologies that help to protect patients during the 35 million surgical procedures performed in the United States each year while simultaneously providing surgeons with the highest quality electrosurgery products in the market," said Hintze. "These new PTFE insulated electrodes continue our tradition of offering safe, innovative, and cost-effective products to today's ORs."

The new Modified Electrodes are available in four lengths and are also available on Megadyne's Rocker Switch and Button Switch Electrosurgical hand pieces:
- E-Z Clean 2.5" electrode (0012M)
- E-Z Clean 2.75" electrode (0012AM)
- E-Z Clean 4" electrode (0014AM)
- E-Z Clean 6.5" electrode (0014M)
- Rocker Switch Pencil with E-Z Clean electrosurgical tip (0036 and 0036H))
- Button Switch Pencil with E-Z Clean electrosurgical tip (0037 and
0037H)

For more information, visit www.megadyne.com.

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