title: Comparison of first-intention healing of carbon dioxide laser, 4.0-MHz radiosurgery, and scalpel incisions in ball pythons (Python regius).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate first-intention healing of CO(2) laser, 4.0-MHz radiowave radiosurgery (RWRS), and scalpel incisions in ball pythons (Python regius).
  
  
  METHODS
  6 healthy adult ball pythons.
  
  
  METHODS
  A skin biopsy sample was collected, and 2-cm skin incisions (4/modality) were made in each snake under anesthesia and closed with surgical staples on day 0. Incision sites were grossly evaluated and scored daily. One skin biopsy sample per incision type per snake was obtained on days 2, 7, 14, and 30. Necrotic and fibroplastic tissue was measured in histologic sections; samples were assessed and scored for total inflammation, histologic response (based on the measurement of necrotic and fibroplastic tissues and total inflammation score), and other variables. Frequency distributions of gross and histologic variables associated with wound healing were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gross wound scores were significantly greater (indicating greater separation of wound edges) for laser incisions than for RWRS and scalpel incisions at all evaluated time points. Necrosis was significantly greater in laser and RWRS incisions than in scalpel incision sites on days 2 and 14 and days 2 and 7, respectively; fibroplasia was significantly greater in laser than in scalpel incision sites on day 30. Histologic response scores were significantly lower for scalpel than for other incision modalities on days 2, 14, and 30.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In snakes, skin incisions made with a scalpel generally had less necrotic tissue than did CO(2) laser and RWRS incisions. Comparison of the 3 modalities on the basis of histologic response scores indicated that use of a scalpel was preferable, followed by RWRS and then laser.
authors: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. bhodshon@utk.edu
authors: Rebecca T
authors: RT
authors: Hodshon
authors: Patricia A
authors: PA
authors: Sura
authors: Juergen P
authors: JP
authors: Schumacher
authors: Agricola
authors: A
authors: Odoi
authors: James C
authors: JC
authors: Steeil
authors: Kim M
authors: KM
authors: Newkirk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017821:Boidae / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*