The Effects of the Low Power Laser for the Blood Circulation of the Flaps

Abstract

The clinical application of low incident levels of laser energy is appearing more frequently in the literature. Actually low powered laser, for example diode laser, has been used for pain control, healing of incurable ulcers, flap survival and any other various therapies. But the mechanism of laser action has not been cleared yet. This time we had some interested knowledge with animal models. Island flaps, caudal based axial pattern flaps whose feeding arteries were superficial epigastric arteries, were raised on the abdominal wall of two groups of male Wister rats, 20 animals in each group. The flaps were immediately sutured back in place. One group acted as control with no irradiation, and other group received radiation from the gallium aluminium arsenide (Ga Al As) diode laser, 830nm, 60mW, continuous wave, and at an energy density of 240J/cm2 at one point on the flap base, total energy was 3.6J per one irradiation.
Both blood flow and mass were increased following one minute irradiation of diode laser for the feeding arteries of the flaps, and after one weak the area of flap survival was macroscopically enlarged as compared with the control group. We conjectured that there were some systems in the mechanism of the laser action, those of autonomic nervous systems, to a certain extent.
From those facts the application of low powered laser for the flaps immediately after operation, especially in our field, must aid in the faster and better take of the flaps.