A surgical instrument includes a shaft that includes an elongated tube having distal and proximal end portions. The tube houses an electrical conductor that includes distal and portions and that extends between the proximal and distal end portions of the elongated tube. An end effector at the distal end portion of the elongated tube includes an electrode electrically coupled to the distal portion of the electrical conductor. A switch at the proximal end portion of the shaft is operatively disposed between the distal and proximal portions of the electrical conductor that is configured to electrically couple and decouple the distal and proximal portions of the electrical conductor.
