ICD & Electrocautery

[K Niner]

I know there is the risk of electrocautery interfereing with the ICD in a patient, but what about in the surgeon? If the surgeon has an ICD and is using electrocautery is there a risk that the electrocautery device in the hands of the surgeon will interefere with the surgeon's ICD?

 

[dragonfly99]

that's an interesting question. However, when you use the cautery you aren not "zapping" yourself, you are zapping the patient. So unless you accidentally cauterize yourself, which would really hurt and be hard to do, I don't see how you could set off your own ICD.

 

[proman]

Surgical gloves don't conduct (have you ever seen a surgeon hold a pair of forceps and Bovie the forcep). Should be safe, but I would check with the surgeon's electrophysiologist.