Coblation an overview

The term coblation is derived from “Controlled ablation”. This procedure involves non-heat driven process of soft tissue dissolution using bipolar radiofrequency energy under a conductive medium like normal saline. When current from radiofrequency probe pass through saline medium it breaks saline into sodium and chloride ions. These highly energized ions form a plasma field which is sufficiently strong to break organic molecular bonds within soft tissue causing its dissolution. This article attempts to provide a broad overview of the technology and its uses in the field of otolaryngology.