1. A surgical procedure that involves an electrosurgical incision; such as, with a cautery.
2. An incision created by electrosurgery, ideally by using a fully rectified, alternating high-frequency current and producing minimal cellular injury.
3. Tissue division of the body with a knife-like electrode operated by a high-frequency device.
4. A type of electrosurgery used to cut into, to plane, or to remove tissue.

The active electrode uses slightly damped, modulated undamped, or undamped currents and may be a knife blade, wire loop, or needle; the passive electrode is an adhesive dispersive pad.