Impairment of skin graft take after CO2 laser surgery in melanoma patients.
Twenty-four patients presenting with primary malignant melanoma of the skin (stage 1) were submitted to wide excision of the tumour, followed by immediate split-skin grafting. In 12 patients a CO2 laser was used to excise the melanoma and only 1 of these patients had a 100 per cent skin graft take, while 9 out of 12 patients whose melanoma was exercised with a conventional scalpel had a 100 per cent take. It is concluded that skin excision with the CO2 laser impairs subsequent skin graft take.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014945:Wound Healing
D002245:Carbon Dioxide