LASER(-ASSISTED) NERVE REPAIR - A REVIEW

Over the last decade low power laser irradiation has been used to repa ir nerves by photothermal welding. Nineteen animal and clinical experi mental studies of laser tissue welding of nerves are reviewed. Possibl e mechanisms of tissue welding are presented, together with the benefi ts, limitations, and possible future implications of several technique s used in laser nerve repair. The consensus of these studies is that n erve welding has some advantages over standard suture repair. These ad vantages include less neuroma- und scar formation and shorter repair t ime. The major disadvantage of laser nerve repair is the initial infer ior tensile strength. In the future, use of dyes or proteins could enh ance the welding process by reinforcing the union strength, thus may i mprove the results of this promising technique.