Closure of skin incisions in rabbits by laser soldering: I: Wound healing pattern

✍ Scribed by David Simhon; Tamar Brosh; Marisa Halpern; Avi Ravid; Tamar Vasilyev; Naam Kariv; Abraham Katzir; Zvi Nevo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 278 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0196-8092
• DOI: 10.1002/lsm.20074

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background and Objectives

Temperature‐controlled tissue laser soldering is an innovative sutureless technique awaiting only solid experimental data to become the gold‐standard surgical procedure for incision closure. The goals of the current study were: (1) to define the optimal laser soldering conditions, (2) to explore the immediate skin reparative healing events after sealing the wound, and (3) to determine the long‐term trajectory of skin wound healing.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Skin incisions were generated over rabbit dorsa and were closed using different wound‐closure interventions, in three groups: (a) closure, using a temperature‐controlled infrared fiberoptic CO~2~ laser system, employing 47% bovine serum albumin as a solder; (b) wound closure by cyanoacrylate glues; and (c) wound closure by sutures. The reparative outcomes were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically, employing semi‐quantitative grading indices.

Results

Laser soldering of incisions at T = 65°C emerged as the optimal method achieving immediate wound sealing. This in turn induced accelerated reparative events characterized by a reduced inflammatory reaction, followed by minimal scarring and leading to a fine quality healing.

Conclusions

Temperature‐controlled laser soldering offers an accelerated wound reparative process with numerous advantages over the conventional methods. Further investigations may reveal additional benefits in the spectrum of advantages that this innovative surgical technology has to offer. This can introduce new scientific insight that will pave the way for clinical use. Lasers Surg. Med. 35:1–11, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.