Surgical smoke
Surgical smoke is the gaseous by-product produced by electrosurgery, laser tissue ablation, ultrasonic scalpel dissection, high speed drilling or burring, or any procedure done by means of a surgical device that is used to ablate, cut, coagulate, desiccate, fulgurate, or vaporize tissue. Other names for surgical smoke are cautery smoke, plume, diathermy plume, or, sometimes, aerosols produced during surgery, vapor contaminants, or air contaminants.
There is evidence, although the evidence is somewhat controversial, of the dangers from toxicity or possible infectivity of surgical smoke produced by electrosurgery or ultrasonic scalpel procedures; such surgical smoke contains carcinogenic or irritant chemicals and/or bio-aerosols capable of harming patients or operating room personnel upon inhalation.
