Tissue thermal damage caused by bipolar forceps can be reduced with a combination of plastic and metal

Background: We created a new 5-mm bipolar forceps. Thermo-insulating plastic was used for the creation of the jaws, while the metal conductor is buried deep inside the plastic. Methods: A porcine model was used in experimental testing against a standard metallic 5-mm bipolar forceps at three different wattage settings (20, 40, 60 W). Histological sections were evaluated by a pathologist who was blind to the wattage and instrument tested. Results: The new instrument was shown to cause statistically significant reduced thermal damage. In addition, its lateral thermal diffusion is superior to standard bipolar forceps. Conclusions: Thermo-insulating plastics can reduce thermal damage to tissue during electrosurgery.