Surgical smoke, neurosurgical practice and coronavirus: a few words of caution

Abstract

Surgical smoke also referred to as cautery smoke is a gaseous mixture produced during surgical procedures where there is ablation, cutting, coagulation, desiccation or vaporization of the tissue.  In a true sense "surgical smoke” refers to surgically generated gaseous contents. The surgical smoke results from the destruction of bones and tissues, causing microscopic particles to get suspended in the environment.