Postradiofrequency surgery outcome

I selected radiofrequency (RF) surgery for office dermatologic surgery because of its proposed much more desirable outcome. I studied some published articles and had a firsthand experience at a clinic with a practitioner who had been using it for a couple of years. This was in 1999. The confidence of the practitioner was due to the impressive results he was able to deliver through this technology.

Postoperative outcomes

Once I started radiofrequency surgery in my office, I studied the outcome of each procedure. Outcome includes all the postoperative events until the final result. Postoperative events include all the subjective and objective experiences until the final result.

Subjective experiences

Subjective experiences after radiofrequency surgery were noted from the treated patients. I have treated more than 4000 patients with radiofrequency surgery since 1999. I have maintained a meticulous record of my cases. I typically interview my patients after surgery to get a precise opinion about the technique, its discomfort or pain, and their difficulties or problems after surgery until the present day.

I am presenting a record of 550 patients I have interviewed about their opinion on office radiofrequency surgery. Two hundred patients had excisional surgeries and 350 patients had desiccation. The details are given in Tables 19.1 and 19.2.

Table 19.1Opinions of 200 patients who had RF excision

Parameter	Good experience	Satisfactory experience	Poor experience
Technique	175	25	–
Postoperative pain	145 (little)	47 (some discomfort)	8 (quite painful)
Postoperative problems	158 (minor)	25 (some, especially cosmetic, had to miss work for few days)	17 (major problems of cosmetic nature for wounds on face)
Postoperative wound healing	181 (very fast)	19 (fast)	–

Table 19.2Opinions of 350 patients who underwent RF desiccation

Parameter	Good experience	Satisfactory experience	Poor experience
Technique	312	38	None
Postoperative pain	335 (little)	15 (some discomfort)	None
Postoperative problems	296 (minor)	37 (cosmetic, especially social for facial lesions)	17 (major problems of cosmetic nature for scabs on face)
Postoperative wound healing	302 (very fast)	48 (fast)	None