XECL LASER-SURGERY OF THE VOCAL CORDS - A HISTOLOGIC COMPARISON WITH CO2-LASER IN A PORCINE MODEL

Fresh cadaveric pig larynxes were ablated with a CO2 (lambda = 10.6 mu m) and a XeCl excimer (lambda = 308 nm) laser. Histologic comparison of the ablation craters created by the two lasers was performed, and a blation crater depth and marginal tissue damage were measured. Crater depth for both laser treatments is correlated with energy deposition a nd exposure time. The CO2 laser creates three times more nonspecific, marginal tissue damage than the XeCl laser at the ranges of total ener gy and exposure times used. This study demonstrates the potential of t he XeCl laser as an alternative to the CO2 laser in microlaryngeal sur gery.