Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on tonsillectomy using ultrasonic scalpel.
Description
Ultrasonic scalpel tonsillectomy is typically performed under general anaesthetic. This procedure uses ultrasonic energy to simultaneously dissect through tissues and seal blood vessels. Tissues are cut by a disposable blade, which vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency thereby cutting the tissue. This vibration also transfers energy to the tissue, thereby leading to coagulation, and through this achieving haemostasis. The temperature caused by the vibration is around 55–100ºC and is lower than by other hot methods such as diathermy or lasers.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance.