A surgical instrument includes a handpiece, an elongate shaft extending distally from the handpiece, an end effector disposed at a distal end of the elongate shaft, and a firing beam. The end effector has a first jaw and a second jaw. The first jaw is pivotable toward and away from the second jaw to capture tissue. The end effector further comprises a preheating element and an electrode. The preheating element is configured to provide heat to the captured tissue, thereby increasing electrical conductivity of the tissue. The electrode is configured to seal the captured-preheated tissue by providing RF energy to the tissue. The firing beam is configured to sever the sealed tissue.
