Clinical Evaluation of the Carbon Dioxide Laser for Burn Wound Excisions

Comparison of the Effects of the CO2Laser and Chlorohexidine on the Decontamination of Infected Cutaneous Wounds: A Histologic Study in Rats

“…7,19,27,30,36 Another method that has been suggested is the use of the CO 2 laser. 1,8,11,22,23,[25][26][27][28][29]35 A previous report 27 was unable to assess the sterilizing effect of the CO 2 laser, and did not consider the method efficient on treating experimental wounds infected by Staphylococcus aureus. Although the methodology used in the present investigation is similar to that used in a previous work by Santos 27 (1999) His group used laser energy of 50.956 W/cm 2 .…”

“…7,19,27,30,36 Another way to cleanse infected wounds is with the CO 2 laser. 1,8,10,11,19,22,25,26 A previous study found that the CO 2 laser promotes, on soft tissues, a more rapid reepithelialization, with increased neovascularization and improved collagen synthesis by fibroblasts. 34 The use of the CO 2 laser does not result in postsurgical bacteremia, which is an important factor in treating elderly patients, patients with cancer, or patients with some kind of immunosuppression.…”

“…CO 2 laser light has been shown to sterilize contaminated or infected wounds because of the high temperatures it produces on the tissues. 11,22,25,26 A study involving the use of the CO 2 laser for "sterilizing" several infections of dental origin 15 showed that, besides dentin "sterilization," its use also resulted in volatilization of the carious lesion; comparative study be-tween the cautery and the CO 2 laser concluded that "sterilization" is higher with the use of the cautery. 28 Iodine and the CO 2 laser were also compared as treatment of wounds infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosas.…”

Burn Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering

“…A study of CO 2 laser ablation in full thickness porcine burns demonstrated that long-term scarring, based on Vancouver scar scale assessments and histologic evaluation, was equivalent at 6 months in laser-ablated and sharply excised burns 36 . While use in humans is limited, 38 a pilot study in 21 children with full thickness burns demonstrated the feasibility of laser vaporization of burn eschars in patients with successful immediate autografting 39 . Since then, major refinements and advances in laser technology have occurred that will likely further enhance this methodology for eschar removal.…”

A Hemostatic Scalpel for Burn Debridement

“…11 If the operative procedures could be carried out with markedly less loss of blood and without significant local or systemic adverse effects, there would be consider¬ able benefit to patients. The carbon dioxide laser, which we introduced, offers great advantages for excision of large, deep burns in terms of blood loss, as shown by us,1214 by Fidler and his colleagues,15·16 and Levine et al 17 However, excision with current models is relatively slow and awk¬ ward. 18 There are drawbacks, also, to the use of radiofrequency current electrosurgical units introduced for burn excision by Lewis and Quimby,11' that is, blood loss seems to be greater than when the carbon dioxide laser is used17 and risks are associated with the electrical currents generated in the body by such units.…”