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European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 2005; 9: 349-354 Physics of radiofrequency in proctology V. FILINGERI, G. GRAVANTE, D. CASSISA Department of Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata - Rome (Italy) Abstract. – Radiosurgery is a new tech- values higher than 3 MHz increase the risk of nique that utilizes an instrument, the radiofre- high frequency dispersion currents5. Radio- quency bistoury, which is able to simultaneously surgery is a new technique that utilizes an in- cut and coagulate tissues with the emission of strument, the radiofrequency bistoury, which radiofrequencies. The first experiments about the utilization of radiofrequency currents on is able to simultaneously cut and coagulate man were conducted between the end of the tissues with the emission of radiofrequencies 19th century and the beginning of the 20th cen- with a wave length of 4 MHz. tury. The first medical field of application was in oncology leading to the development of hyper- thermia as an anticancer treatment. During the 80’s the radiofrequencies have been introduced History in cardiology to thermally ablate stable arrhyth- mic foci. Actually ear, nose, and throat surgery, dermatology, plastic surgery, vascular surgery, The first experiments about the utiliza- orthopaedics, neurosurgery and minimally inva- tion of radiofrequency currents on man sive surgery use this new tool in their practice. were conducted between the end of the 19th The authors show the classification of radiofre- century and the beginning of the 20th centu- quencies in the electromagnetic field, describe ry. Initially Arsene D’Arsonval (French their historic development, their physics and their initial clinical applications by making a sys- physicist and physiologist 1851-1940) hy- tematic review of the literature. pothesized that electric currents superior to 10 KHz wouldn’t give neuromuscular con- K