title: Laser tumor debulking.
abstract: When adequate tumor ablation is nonfeasible, debulking has become essential to palliate or to prepare patients for chemotherapy, radiotherapy or definite surgery. The CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers were used to debulk 120 head and neck cases, of which 118 were successfully debulked. The advantages of the laser as a debulker are its facility, rapidity, repeatability, coagulability, atraumaticity, precision, sterilization, and prompt healing; thus, tracheostomy and extended hospitalization were obviated. This paper describes the effectiveness and benefits of the CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers as tumor debulkers.
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery