Biomaterial Database

Clinical evaluation of the carbon dioxide laser for burn wound excisions: a comparison of the laser, scalpel, and electrocautery. 1975

N S Levine, and R E Salisbury, and H D Peterson, and B A Pruitt

The use of a 100 watt carbon dioxide laser for surgical excisions of burn eschar was evaluated in 13 patients with symmetrical burns. In each patient, laser excision was compared with either scalpel or electrocautery excision of a comparable area. Graft "take," blood loss, and operative speed were measured. Graft "take" following laser excisions was comparable to that obtained when either scalpel or electrocautery was used. Regression analysis indicates that laser excisions involved 29% of the blood loss encountered with scalpel excisions and that laser speed was 1.49 times scalpel speed. Although laser blood loss was 60% of electrocautery blood loss, laser speed was significantly slower: 73% of electrocautery speed. These differences, however, were of small clinical consequence. It is felt that the surgical arm of this laser is at present quite awkward and is in need of technological refinement if the full potential of the laser is to be realized.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008722	Methods	A series of steps taken in order to conduct research.	Techniques,Methodological Studies,Methodological Study,Procedures,Studies, Methodological,Study, Methodological,Method,Procedure,Technique
D002056	Burns	Injuries to tissues caused by contact with heat, steam, chemicals (BURNS, CHEMICAL), electricity (BURNS, ELECTRIC), or the like.	Burn
D002245	Carbon Dioxide	A colorless, odorless gas that can be formed by the body and is necessary for the respiration cycle of plants and animals.	Carbonic Anhydride,Anhydride, Carbonic,Dioxide, Carbon
D002425	Cautery	The application of a caustic substance, a hot instrument, an electric current, or other agent to control bleeding while removing or destroying tissue.	Cauterization,Cauterizations
D006470	Hemorrhage	Bleeding or escape of blood from a vessel.	Bleeding,Hemorrhages
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014182	Transplantation, Autologous	Transplantation of an individual's own tissue from one site to another site.	Autografting,Autologous Transplantation,Autotransplantation,Autograftings,Autologous Transplantations,Autotransplantations,Transplantations, Autologous
D016038	Skin Transplantation	The grafting of skin in humans or animals from one site to another to replace a lost portion of the body surface skin.	Dermatoplasty,Grafting, Skin,Transplantation, Skin,Dermatoplasties,Graftings, Skin,Skin Grafting,Skin Graftings,Skin Transplantations,Transplantations, Skin
D053685	Laser Therapy	The use of photothermal effects of LASERS to coagulate, incise, vaporize, resect, dissect, or resurface tissue.	Laser Knife,Laser Scalpel,Surgery, Laser,Vaporization, Laser,Laser Ablation,Laser Knives,Laser Photoablation of Tissue,Laser Surgery,Laser Tissue Ablation,Nonablative Laser Treatment,Pulsed Laser Tissue Ablation,Ablation, Laser,Ablation, Laser Tissue,Knife, Laser,Knifes, Laser,Knive, Laser,Knives, Laser,Laser Knifes,Laser Knive,Laser Scalpels,Laser Surgeries,Laser Therapies,Laser Treatment, Nonablative,Laser Treatments, Nonablative,Laser Vaporization,Nonablative Laser Treatments,Scalpel, Laser,Scalpels, Laser,Surgeries, Laser,Therapies, Laser,Therapy, Laser,Tissue Ablation, Laser