Background: Electrosurgery (diathermy) is widely utilized during Cesarean deliveries to achieve rapid hemostasis and muscle/fascia dissection. However, inappropriate power settings, prolonged tissue contact, or insulation failures during high-power coagulation may cause excessive lateral thermal tissue damage. This thermal damage can increase the risk of postoperative skin edge necrosis, thermal burns, and subsequent surgical site infections (SSIs).

Objective: To systematically evaluate the literature from 2016 to 2026 to determine the correlation between excessive or high-power electrosurgical use during Cesarean sections and the incidence of intraoperative/postoperative thermal skin burns and SSIs.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed and Scopus for studies published between January 2016 and 2026. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, and case series reporting on monopolar or bipolar diathermy usage during Cesarean sections and measuring outcomes related to cutaneous thermal burns, wound disruption, or 30-day SSIs.

Results: Preliminary data synthesis indicates that while electrosurgery significantly reduces operative time and blood loss compared to traditional scalpel division, high-energy monopolar coagulation increases subcutaneous tissue necrosis. Studies demonstrate a statistically significant elevation in superficial SSI rates (p<0.05) when excessive diathermy is applied to subcutaneous fat layers. Furthermore, cases of thermal burns were primarily linked to faulty grounding pads or prolonged application near skin margins.

Conclusion: Judicious use of electrosurgery during Cesarean delivery is essential to minimize thermal injury. Surgical teams must adopt standardized power limits and avoid subcutaneous fat diathermy to decrease postoperative SSI incidence and prevent avoidable cutaneous thermal burns.