Evaluation of the plasma scalpel for intracranial surgery: a pilot study.

The plasma scalpel, a new type of thermal knife, was investigated to determine its utility in neurosurgery. A series of 23 dogs underwent cortical resections comparing the use of the plasma scalpel with conventional bipolar cautery. Tissue heating, blood loss, speed of coagulation, wound healing and pathological change associated with use of the plasma scalpel were studied. The device was found to be effective, safe and faster than bipolar cautery. At present, several technical problems, including the large size of the handpiece and the blast effect of the plasma beam, preclude preliminary human clinical trials.