Surgical method for tissue removal

1. A method of removing tissue from a patient utilizing an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising:

providing an electrosurgical instrument having a pair of opposing end effectors, only one of the end effectors including a conductive cutting portion and the other of the end effectors including an opposing portion;

positioning the conductive cutting portion on one side of the tissue to be removed and positioning the opposing portion on an opposing side of the tissue to be removed;

causing relative movement of the end effectors toward each other to define a direction of movement;

constraining the tissue to be removed between the conductive cutting portion and the opposing portion;

providing electrosurgical energy to the conductive cutting portion;

discharging electrosurgical energy to the tissue ;

dissecting the tissue through a combination of the electrosurgical energy discharged to the tissue and the conductive cutting portion;

cauterizing the tissue through the electrosurgical energy discharged to the tissue;

moving the conductive cutting portion to a position where the opposing portion has slipped past the conductive cutting portion the conductive cutting portion defining only a portion of a lateral extent of the end effector that includes the conductive cutting portion;

performing the dissecting and cauterizing steps while constraining the tissue between the conductive cutting portion and the opposing portion; and

removing the dissected tissue from the patient while constraining the tissue between the end effectors.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of dissecting the tissue utilizes a sharpened edge formed on the conductive cutting portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of cauterizing the tissue utilizes a width of the conductive cutting portion facing in a direction away from the direction of movement.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of contacting an electrode with the patient at a location remote from the site of the tissue to be removed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning step positions at least a portion of tonsil tissue between the end effectors.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the tonsil tissue is pharyngeal tonsil tissue.

7. A method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient, the method comprising:

providing an electrosurgical instrument having a pair of opposing end effectors, only one of the end effectors including a conductive cutting portion;

engaging a portion of the tonsil tissue between the conductive cutting portion and the other end effector;

providing electrosurgical energy to the conductive cutting portion;

discharging electrosurgical energy through the conductive cutting portion;

moving the conductive cutting portion to a position where the conductive cutting portion has slipped past a portion of the other end effector, the conductive cutting portion defining only a portion of a lateral extent of the end effector that includes the conductive cutting portion;

dissecting the portion of the tonsil tissue through a combination of the electrosurgical energy and the conductive cutting portion;

cauterizing the tissue; and

removing the portion of dissected tonsil tissue from the patient with the electrosurgical instrument.

8. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , wherein the tonsil tissue is pharyngeal tonsil tissue.

9. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , wherein the engaging step locates the conductive cutting portion on one side of the tonsil tissue and the other end effector on an opposing side of the tonsil tissue.

10. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , further comprising the step of moving the end effectors toward one another during the dissecting step.

11. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , further comprising the step of bending the end effectors to accommodate variations in patient anatomy.

12. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , wherein the removing step removes the portion of dissected tonsil tissue by grasping the portion of dissected tonsil tissue between the end effectors.

13. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , wherein the electrosurgical instrument is operated in a scissors manner.

14. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , wherein the steps of dissecting and cauterizing are both performed by the discharging of electrosurgical energy through the conductive cutting portion.

15. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , further comprising the step of affixing a return electrode to the patient.

16. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , wherein the electrosurgical instrument includes a pair of handles, and further comprising the step of moving the handles toward one another during the discharging of the electrosurgical energy.

17. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , further comprising the step of discarding the electrosurgical instrument after the removing step.

18. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , further comprising the step of performing the dissecting and cauterizing steps while the tonsil tissue is located between the end effectors.

19. The method of removing tonsil tissue from a patient as set out in claim 7 , further comprising the step of positioning the conductive cutting portion of the one end effector on one side of the tonsil tissue and positioning the other end effector on an opposing side of the tonsil tissue.