Practice Question Answers: Electrosurgery

1. A 71-year-old woman with a pacemaker/defibrillator is undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery. Which method is the safest for hemostasis during surgery?

a. biterminal electrocoagulation
b. electrocautery
c. electrodesiccation
d. monopolar electrocoagulation
e. monoterminal electrocoagulation

2. Which method usually causes the deepest level of tissue damage during hemostasis?

a. electrocautery
b. electrocoagulation
c. electrodesiccation
d. electrofulguration
e. electrosection

3. Which electrosurgical mode has the highest maximum output power?

a. bipolar mode

b. coagulation mode

c. cutting mode

d. fulguration mode

e. monoterminal mode

4. A 59-year-old woman is scheduled for curettage and electrodesiccation of a superficial basal cell carcinoma on the upper back. Which method is preferred for deep electrodesiccation?

a. large-tip electrode and coagulation current
b. large-tip electrode in fulguration mode
c. small-tip electrode and coagulation current
d. small-tip electrode and cutting current
e. small-tip electrode in fulguration mode

5. A 32-year-old Asian woman is scheduled for superficial electrosurgical destruction of a small flat seborrheic keratosis on the face. Which treatment method is preferred?

a. large-tip electrode and coagulation current
b. large-tip electrode and cutting current
c. large-tip electrode and fulguration current in noncontact mode at the maximum power
d. small-tip electrode and cutting current
e. small-tip electrode and fulguration current at the maximum power