Introducing the Air Plasma Surgical Device (Guest Blogger Dr. William T. N. Culp)

William T. N. Culp, DVM, Diplomate, ACVS

Surgery & Oncology Department 
Veterinary Teaching Hospital
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Davis, California

AirPlasma is a recently developed technique in which air is ionized to generate energy. This process is conducted without the use of gases such as argon and helium and utilizes only air as a conductor. The energy that is created is visible in the form of a glow and tissue can be vaporized with simultaneous capillary hemostasis. (Lacitignola 2020)

AirPlasma has several advantages over other forms of similar devices. The AirPlasma device works at a much lower temperature than other plasma devices, and the local thermal damage at the point of contact can be minimized with significantly less tissue necrosis. AirPlasma does not require a return plate on the patient which avoids burns on the patient’s skin encountered with some electrosurgical devices. There also is evidence that AirPlasma has a low carcinogenic potential which is particularly important as other devices can generate fumes that result in exposure to certain carcinogens. Lastly, as stated above, AirPlasma devices are able to generate energy without the need for external gases.

There are currently 3 major areas where AirPlasma is utilized in veterinary patients: ablation of tumors, cutting, dissection, and micro-coagulation. Small masses can be ablated with the device utilizing several available tip options. The device is particularly useful for cutting and dissecting tissues as the generated plasma can be highly focused on the targeted area. Because of this advantage, cutting and dissection during procedures such as total ear canal ablation, staphylectomy, and tumor removal can be very precise with minimal trauma to surrounding tissues. Finally, this device is particularly useful in assisting with microcoagulation at surgical sites after biopsies or resections. Commonly, after liver lobectomy or other partial organ resection, a small amount of bleeding can occur. Using the AirPlasma on those sites can often control minor oozing and prevent continued blood loss.

AirPlasma technology is an exciting new modality that is demonstrating promise. Proficiency is achievable in a short period of time, and safety appears to be high. Further studies will continue to elucidate outcomes with this technology, and the applications in veterinary patients are likely to increase. For more information about the AirPlasma device, and Onemytis see http://www.medviatech.com/.

Reference

Lacitignola L, Desantis S, Izzo G, et al. Comparative morphological effects of cold-blade, electrosurgical, and plasma scalpels on dog skin. Vet Sci 2020;7,8; doi:10.3390/vetsci7010008