CLINICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF TISSUE-DAMAGE AND HEALING FOLLOWING INCISIONS WITH THE CO2-LASER AND STAINLESS-STEEL SURGICAL BLADEIN DOGS

The tissue damage and subsequent healing of skin, linea alba and intes tinal wall incisions made with a CO2-laser and a stainless steel surgi cal blade were evaluated clinically and histologically in dogs (n=10). The amount of blood lost in each type of skin incision was measured b y taking the pre- and postoperative mass of surgical swabs. The tissue s were sutured and the skin incisions examined every day. The animals were subsequently euthanased (Day 12) and all incisions examined histo logically. A delay in the healing process was observed in the laser in cisions of the skin during the first 4 d, but there was no difference in the healing rate of the intestinal wounds or of the linea alba. The blood loss due to the laser incisions was significantly less than tha t caused by the surgical blade. It was concluded that the CO2-laser ca n be used with confidence when incising the skin and intestine and tha t, due to its precision, the surgical blade is by far a more accurate method to incise the linea alba.