Skin Burn at the Oral Commissure Caused by Harmonic Scalpel during Sleep Apnea Surgery

초록

In patients with obstructive sleep apnea who have not responded to continuous positive airway pressure, surgical intervention may be considered for areas where obstruction or stenosis has been confirmed through drug-induced sleep endoscopy. The harmonic scalpel, a device that operates at a frequency of 55,500 Hz to cut and coagulate tissue, can be used for procedures such as epiglottectomy and tonsillectomy during sleep apnea surgery. In the present case reported herein, the harmonic scalpel was carefully maneuvered without contacting the surrounding tissue, successfully completing the operation. Nevertheless, a second-degree burn at the oral commissure was postoperatively detected and promptly managed, resulting in resolution without scarring or complications. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of burns caused by the harmonic scalpel during sleep apnea surgery. Therefore, we present this case report along with recommendations to mitigate such unanticipated incidents in the future.

키워드