title: Comparative in vitro study of tissue welding using a 808 nm diode laser and a Ho:YAG laser.
abstract: In vitro porcine arteries and veins have been welded end-to-end using either a 808 nm diode laser combined with an indocyanine green enhanced albumin solder, or with a continuous-wave (cw) Ho:YAG laser without biological solder. The vascular stumps were approached to each other over a coronary dilatation catheter in order to obtain a precise alignment and good coaptation. Standard histology revealed for both welding techniques lateral tissue damage between 2 and 3 mm caused by laser-induced heat. Good solder attachment to the tissue was observed by the use of a scanning electron microscope. The vessels soldered with the 808 nm diode laser using albumin solder showed considerably higher tensile strength (1 N compared to 0.3 N) than vessels welded exclusively by Ho:YAG laser radiation. In contrast, leaking pressure (350 +/- 200 mmHg) and bursting pressure (457 +/- 200 mmHg) were found to be independent of the welding technique used. This study demonstrates that fast (total welding time about 2-5 min), stable and tight microvascular anastomosis can be achieved with the use of a dye-enhanced albumin laser soldering technique and an ancillary coronary dilatation catheter.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Physics, Sidlerstrasse 5, University of Berne, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Züger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banic
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schaffner
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frenz
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000601:surgery*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013552:Swine; D016909:Tibial Arteries / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine