Comparison of conventional surgery and CO2 laser on intraoral soft tissue pathologies and evaluation of the collateral thermal damage.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to compare conventional surgery with carbon dioxide (CO(2)) laser applied on oral soft tissue pathologies and to evaluate the effect of collateral thermal damage on histopathological diagnosis. Anesthesia need, postoperative pain, and intraoperative and postoperative complications were examined as part of the comparison.


METHODS
Forty-three patients (32 female and 11 male) with a mean age of 54 (54 +/- 7.0) requiring soft tissue surgeries were randomly assigned to receive treatment either with conventional surgery using a scalpel or with a CO(2) laser technique. Anesthesia method and need, postoperative pain, systemic pain medications if needed, and intra- and postoperative complications were recorded. Excised tissues were evaluated histopathologically for the effect of thermal damage.


RESULTS
All patients were anesthetized with local anesthesia in the conventional group whereas only 10 (42%) patients needed local anesthesia after topical anesthetic application in the laser group. In the conventional group, 18 (90%) patients need analgesics after the operation, compared with seven (29%) patients in the laser group. No intra- or postoperative complications were seen for either procedure. Histological examination of 39 specimens showed that collateral thermal damage on the incision line did not affect the histopathological diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
CO(2) laser is an effective instrument for soft tissue excisional biopsies with minimal intraoperative and postoperative complications and good pain control. CO(2) laser applications are suggested as an alternative method to conventional surgery on oral soft tissues.
Tuncer
Ibrahim
I
University of Yeditepe, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey.
Ozçakir-Tomruk
Ceyda
C
Sencift
Kemal
K
Cöloğlu
Sedat
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002245:Carbon Dioxide