Abstract
The laser system has been applied in various fields of medicine, due to its unique characteristics, both experimentally and clinically, in recent years. High-powered carbon dioxide laser beam especially has shown several advantages in the resection of tumors. We employed carbon dioxide laser (maximum output: 60 W) in the operation of 9 cases of brain tumors and clinical results of this laser surgery has been excellent. Blood loss during operation was reduced to minimum and simplification of surgical procedures shortened the time of operation.
Carbon dioxide laser beam has the following surgical usefulness:
1) It enables non-contact surgery as a “light knife”.
2) It enables vaporization of tissue by focussed beam irradiation (laser vaporization and laser cutting).
3) It enables thermocoagulation by unfocuseed beam irradiation (laser coagulation and laser hemostasis).
Carbon dioxide laser, thus has proven to be suitable not only for cutting but also for coagulation. Since cutting and hemostasis are obtained at the same time, bloodless excision of tumor tissue is possible. Carbon dioxide laser also offers a new technique in removing highly vascularized brain tumors.
