Analysis of the Heat and Moisture Exchanger Filter Method in Breast Cancer Surgery Using Electrosurgical Instrument against Formaldehyde Quantity Levels

Surgical smokes are the result effect of using an electrosurgical instrument. Surgical smokes may distract the surgical team’s concentration directly by disturbing surgical area field view and the smell. The chemical contaminants as the result of this procedure may give indirect impact on long-term health effect especially for some organs include eye, respiration and also the possibility of malignancies. This study aims to analyze the quantity level of formaldehyde after using the modification of Heat and Moisture Exchangers (HME) filter in breast cancer surgery. Method: This study used quasi-experimental posttest only group design with purposive sampling. The total sample in this research was 60 samples of breast cancer tissue specimens for surgical smokes analyze that was divided into 3 groups of HME filtration type, HME 1, HME 2 and HME 3. The quantity level of formaldehyde after filtration was analyzed with Kruskal Wallis test. Results: The highest level of formaldehyde value in the HME 1 is 24.98 ppm, the lowest 7.97ppm (mean= 11.29ppm). In the HME 2 filter, the highest formaldehyde value is 13.98ppm, and the lowest 4.97ppm (mean= 7.38ppm). Meanwhile, in the HME 3 filter, the highest formaldehyde value of 11.98ppm, and the lowest 1.99ppm (mean= 4.88ppm). There is difference result in each groups of filter modification method (p value= 0.000 or 0,0001). Conclusion: Modified filter of HME can be used as filter of surgical smokes as the result of the used electrosurgery instrument.