Electrocoagulation is a procedure that uses heat to seal blood vessels or tissues. It can be used to treat several conditions, including persistent gastrointestinal bleeding in the digestive tract.

During an electrocoagulation procedure, instruments that generate electricity are passed through a long, flexible tube (endoscope) into the body. These instruments burn or sear the irregular tissue, a process known as cauterization.  Electrocoagulation may be used as the first treatment for a bleeding condition such as peptic ulcers or hemorrhoids. It may also be used after other treatments, such as polyp removal (polypectomy) to stop bleeding.

Electrocoagulation is a procedure that uses heat to seal blood vessels or clot tissue. It is used to treat disorders of the digestive tract such as bleeding, internal hemorrhoids and some gastric cancers. It may also serve as a secondary treatment to stop bleeding after polyp removal.

In these procedures, the physician uses a long, flexible tube called an endoscope to find and examine the problem area. The endoscope contains a light that allows the physician to more clearly view the area to be treated.

When a treatment area is located, a device that creates electrical current is passed through the endoscope. Targeted tissue resists the electrical current, and this resistance creates the heat that either cuts the tissue or causes it to coagulate, or form a clot. This is known as cauterization, and it can be used to seal blood vessels and remove surrounding tissue.

Electrocoagulation is used to treat several conditions of the digestive tract, including those associated with bleeding, such as bleeding peptic ulcers, hemorrhoids or angiodysplasia, a condition in which stretched and fragile blood vessels occasionally bleed.

Electrocoagulation may also be used to treat damaged tissue in the esophagus, such as cells damaged by a condition known as Barrett's esophagus. It may also serve as a secondary treatment. For example, physicians use other devices with endoscopes to remove polyps from the colon. After removal, the colon may bleed at the polyp site. Electrocoagulation may be used to stop this bleeding.

Electrocoagulation is most effective in clotting small blood vessels that are less than 2 to 3 millimeters (less than 1/10 of an inch) in diameter. Usually, an electrode with a metallic sphere tip between 2 and 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) is used.

Electrocoagulation presents relatively few risks to the patient. In some cases, electrocoagulation may itself cause additional bleeding. Further treatment with electrocoagulation almost always stops this bleeding. Organ puncture is also possible.

There are several different electrocoagulation techniques. They include:

• Bipolar electrocoagulation. Also known as multipolar electrocoagulation, it uses a device with two electrodes at the tip of a probe that create an electrical circuit. The electrical energy is converted to thermal energy, which coagulates (forms a blood clot) in the tissue when the temperature exceeds 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). Bipolar electrocoagulation has largely replaced its predecessor, monopolar electrocoagulation. Bipolar electrocoagulation is used for bleeding ulcers and esophageal conditions such as Barrett's esophagus.
  
  
• Heater probe. A device that contains a thermocouple at its tip. The thermocouple contains wires of two different types of metals that measure temperature and produce thermal energy almost instantly to coagulate tissue. It is especially effective in treating bleeding ulcers and preventing additional bleeding of high risk lesions. Heater probes allow coagulation deeper into tissue, but with the added risk of perforation of the tissue.
  
  
• Argon plasma coagulation (APC). A newer type of electrocoagulation that allows the physician to seal irregular tissue without directly contacting the tissue. This is achieved by passing a current through ionized argon gas. APC can treat a large surface quickly. It also allows for the treatment of hard to reach locations within the digestive tract. It may be used for angiodysplasia and to remove tissue remaining after polypectomy. Unlike the other methods of electrocoagulation, APC does not involve direct contact of its probe with the tissue, so it cannot use direct pressure to assist in clotting.

Preparing questions in advance can help patients to have more meaningful discussions with their physicians regarding their conditions. Patients may wish to ask their doctor the following electrocoagulation-related questions:

1. Why are you recommending that I undergo electrocoagulation?
   
   
2. Which type of electrocoagulation is most appropriate for my condition?
   
   
3. Can you explain the procedure to me in detail?
   
   
4. What risks, if any, do I face by undergoing this procedure?
   
   
5. Will I experience any pain during the procedure? What about after?
   
   
6. Will electrocoagulation cure my condition in one treatment or will it have to be repeated?
   
   
7. What happens if the procedure is not effective in treating my condition?
   
   
8. How many electrocoagulation procedures have you performed?