"There is no smoke without a fire"--surgical smoke and the risk connected with it.

Starting from October 1-st, 1926, when Dr. Harvey Cushing was the first to apply electrocoagulation, the pioneer invention of Wiliam Bovie (1), surgical smoke has become an integral component of the atmosphere of the operating room. Thanks to technological progress in the twentieth century it was possible to use a laser or harmonic knife in the field of surgery. Undoubtedly, this facilitated the performance of selected procedures, but also exposed the operating room personnel to the effects of novel gases. In recent years, numerous investigations were undertaken, aimed at determining whether there was any risk associated with the exposure of patients and medical personnel to surgical smoke. Some of these studies showed the presence of elevated levels of potentially harmful substances, while others the transmission of an infection. It would seem that these facts should be alarming, considering that surgical smoke is far from being indifferent. What really speaks to ones imagination is the very common in literature data comparison of surgical smoke inhalation resulting from the cauterization of 1 g of tissue and smoking of 6 cigarettes (2, 3). Nevertheless, many doctors are not aware of the potential threat, considering smoke to be totally harmless (4). They argue for the above-mentioned with the lack of disease symptoms, despite many years of exposure. The aim of this study was to present the proven and theoretical risk posed by surgical smoke, as well as discuss methods which minimize this exposure.