Electrosurgical apparatus

An electrosurgical apparatus 1 for coagulating tissue, the apparatus comprising: a tube 8 having proximal and distal ends, tube 8 being straight for most of its length so defining a longitudinal tube axis 12, where tube 8 defines a conduit though which an ionisable gas can be supplied to an aperture the tube's distal end, and where tube 8 comprises an inner rigid component 9 covered by a polymeric sheath 21 that's movable between advanced (Fig.3b) and retracted (Fig.3a) positions with respect to the inner rigid-component 9; and an electrode 17 for ionising the gas prior to it exiting the tube's distal end aperture. In the advanced position, electrode 17 is situated within tube 8 and in the retracted position electrode 17 extends through the aperture at the tube's distal end at a non-zero angle with respect to the tube's longitudinal axis 12. Preferably electrode 17 is curved so its proximal end is parallel with the tube's longitudinal axis 12 and its distal end is at the non-zero angle, where rigid inner-component 9 is straight for its entire length and sheath 21 is pre-formed so it forms itself into a curved shape once it extends beyond the inner rigid-component 9.