Live virus survives excimer laser ablation

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.