Objectives: To determine whether live virus can withstand excimer laser abl
ation and pose a possible health hazard to medical personnel.
Design: Experimental study.
Methods: Fibroblasts infected with oral polio vaccine virus were ablated wi
th an excimer laser. The plume was collected using a smoke evacuator and bu
bbled through viral culture media.
Main Outcome Measures: The inlet tube from the smoke evacuator was swabbed
and cultured for virus. Liquid from the bubble trap was also cultured.
Results: Live virus was shown in the material trapped from the laser plume.
Conclusions: Oral polio vaccine virus can survive excimer laser ablation. W
hether other more clinically relevant viruses, such as human immunodeficien
cy virus, can withstand ablation and remain infectious remains to be determ
ined.