"Put your 'extended' finger on the bleeder": the use of direct pressure from the shaver blade to achieve hemostasis.

Abstract

Maintaining good hemostasis is vital to ensure clear vision during arthroscopic surgery. This is most commonly achieved with electrocautery or radiofrequency devices. Another technique involves temporarily increasing the arthroscopic fluid inflow pressure to tamponade the bleeding. Unfortunately, both of these methods are not without risks or limitations and may involve extra costs. Our technique involves the use of the barrel end of the shaver blade to apply direct pressure on the bleeding vessel for 3 seconds to stop the bleeding. This is a simple, time-efficient, and cost-effective method of achieving hemostasis.