title: Bleeding complications following Nd:YAG laser-assisted oral surgery vs conventional treatment in cardiac risk patients: a clinical retrospective comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thermal Nd:YAG laser energy is well known for the purpose of blood coagulation. However, little is known about the bleeding frequency following laser-assisted oral surgery in patients on coumarin drugs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare retrospectively the frequency of bleeding complications following Nd:YAG laserassisted versus conventional local coagulation of blood in oral surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  In October 2002, minor oral surgical interventions were found to be indicated in a total of 45 cardiac risk patients. In Group 1, blood coagulation was yielded in 24 patients with a Nd:YAG laser system, whereas in Group 2, treatment was performed in 21 patients with conventional means of local hemostasis. All therapies were performed continuing anticoagulant therapy between November 2002 and March 2003. Clinical data were recorded retrospectively from patient charts in May 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both Groups 1 and 2, a total of two bleeding complications were recorded. However, local re-interventions were sufficient for local hemostasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that Nd:YAG laser-assisted local hemostasis was not able to prevent bleeding complications completely. Within the limitations of this retrospective study it was concluded that in patients with anticoagulant treatment undergoing minor oral surgery, Nd:YAG laser-assisted local hemostasis is not superior to conventional methods of blood coagulation with respect to the frequency of bleeding complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Technische Universität München, Germany. herbert.deppe@mkg.tum.de
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deppe
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mücke
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Auer-Bahrs
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagenpfeil
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kesting
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sculean
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003374:Coumarins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006489:Hemostatic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006472:Oral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D003374:Coumarins