Reusable metal plate return electrode
A rigid, flat plate of conductive metal (stainless steel or aluminum) connected via a reusable cable to the electrosurgical generator; requires conductive gel applied between the plate and the patient's skin.
How it is used
Positioned under a large body area of the patient (buttocks, thigh, or back) before draping, to complete the monopolar electrosurgery circuit; largely superseded by disposable adhesive electrodes.
Clinical tip
Full, even contact between the plate and skin (with gel) must be verified before draping, since most reusable plate systems lack contact-quality monitoring, which historically has been a cause of burns from partial contact loss.
Sources
This entry is part of the Instriq catalog, researched and written per specialty from real web research -- never generated or invented without verification -- and reviewed skeptically and independently before publication. How this catalog is written.
History
Added to the catalog on 2026-10-07.
Dates derived from the project's public version-control history on GitHub, not a live collaborative edit log.