What should you know about a Bovie electrosurgical unit?

Bovie is a commonly used name for an electrosurgical device. The unit sends high-frequency electrical energy through an active electrode to heat tissue. Depending on the setting and tip, the clinician may cut, coagulate, or destroy a small targeted area. A return electrode may be placed on the body when a monopolar system is used; other systems keep the electrical path close to the treatment site.

The device is different from a laser because it relies on electrical energy and heat rather than light. It may be used in procedures such as removing a small lesion, stopping pinpoint bleeding, or combining scraping with cautery. The visible result depends on the condition, depth, location, and healing response.

Tell the clinician about pacemakers, implanted electrical devices, metal implants, bleeding problems, medicines that affect clotting, pregnancy, allergies, and previous reactions to local anaesthetic. Ask how the return pad will be used and whether jewellery or monitoring equipment needs special handling. After treatment, follow the wound instructions, keep the area clean as directed, and do not pick a crust that is protecting new skin. An electrosurgical unit may be part of [Electrosurgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/electrosurgery/) or [Curettage And Cautery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/curettage-and-cautery/).

Contact the treating clinic for bleeding that does not settle with firm, gentle pressure, spreading redness, increasing warmth, pus, fever, worsening pain, or a wound that opens. Seek urgent help for breathing difficulty, facial swelling, fainting, or a suspected electrical burn. A small amount of tenderness or a surface crust can occur, but worsening symptoms deserve assessment.

Ask which setting and electrode are planned, whether a return pad is needed, how your implanted devices affect the procedure, what wound appearance is expected, and when the area should be reviewed.