title: Comparison of CO(2) laser and 4.0 MHz radiosurgery for making incisions in the skin and muscles of green iguanas (Iguana iguana).
abstract: Four green iguanas scheduled for euthanasia were used to compare the extent of collateral tissue damage associated with CO(2) laser and 4.0 MHz radiosurgery. The iguanas were anaesthetised and a series of three skin and three muscle incisions was made by 4.0 MHz radiosurgery (0.18 mm wire electrode, 25 W, cut mode) and CO(2) laser (0.3 mm ceramic tip, 15 W focused beam super-pulse mode), and three incisions were made with a scalpel blade as controls. Following euthanasia, a total of 60 skin and 36 muscle sections were evaluated histologically. Radiosurgery and the laser both produced bloodless incisions, but radiosurgery caused significantly less collateral tissue damage in the skin (307 [97] v 386 [108] microm) and the muscle (18 [7] v 91 [15] microm).
authors.affiliation: Zoological Medicine, Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. shdivers@uga.edu
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hernández-Divers
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rakich
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Blas-Machado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D007076:Iguanas / Q000601:surgery*; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing