Endoscopic laser coagulation through an optical laser balloon.
An endoscope was equipped with a saline-filled latex rubber balloon at its tip to displace contaminating blood, bile, or gastric contents during operative portoscopy, biliary endoscopy, or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. A fiber with its tip inside the balloon transmitted energy from an Nd:YAG laser for coagulation of tumors in one bile duct cancer, in six portal vein growths from primary liver cancers, and in a superficially growing stomach cancer. The balloon increased the precision of irradiation by making lesions easier to identify through displacement of bile or blood and by keeping the fiber tip at a fixed position relative to the lesion. The technique, basic experimental studies, and clinical experiences are reported.
Shimamura
Y
Y
Department of Surgery, National Matsudo Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
Gunvén
P
P
Ishii
M
M
Kitai
S
S
Ono
M
M
Okajima
K
K
Shima
Y
Y
Ikuta
S
S
Takahashi
A
A
Kitaya
T
T
D000818:Animals; D019723:Endoscopes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011817:Rabbits