title: A comparative histological and immunohistochemical study of wound healing following incision with a scalpel, CO2 laser or Er,Cr:YSGG laser in the guinea pig oral mucosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to compare wound healing following incisions with either a scalpel, CO(2) laser or Er,Cr:YSGG laser in Guinea pig oral mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three types of wounds were randomly introduced with either a stainless steel scalpel, CO(2) laser or Er,Cr:YSGG laser in the buccal mucosa of each of 22 Guinea pigs. Four Guinea pigs were sacrificed on day 1, day 3 and day 5 post-surgery. Five Guinea pigs were sacrificed on day 7 and day 14 post-surgery. Biopsy samples from each oral mucosa wound were examined and the expression of TNF-α and TGF-ß1 was determined by immunohistochemical staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At day 3 post-surgery, the histological pattern of the healing process was similar in the scalpel and Er,Cr:YSGG laser wounds and there were more ulcerations present in the CO(2) laser wounds than in the scalpel and Er,Cr:YSGG laser wounds. The level of TNF-α expression was twice in the laser wounds that in the scalpel wounds. A higher level of TGF-β1 expression was seen at day 7 post-surgery and a lower level at day 14 post-surgery in the CO(2) laser wounds than in the scalpel and Er,Cr:YSGG laser wounds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Er,Cr:YSGG laser has many advantages for oral surgery due to a low inflammatory response and minimal damage of the tissue. Although a CO(2) laser has better hemostatic ability, its use causes greater tissue damage than a scalpel and Er,Cr:YSGG laser. However, further larger studies would be needed before fully endorsing its widespread use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Sang-Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyun-Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002245:Carbon Dioxide