A silent health threat lurks in operating rooms across the nation. Doctors and nurses are exposed daily to what’s known as surgical smoke.
Surgeon Kevin Hughes in Charleston says the smoke is created as he cuts into tissue using an electrical device he holds like a pen. The device, called a Bovie, has a metal tip that smolders as it burns the skin.
“You can see the smoke initially when you’re doing this,” says Dr. Hughes. “You’re essentially cooking tissue.”…