title: The carbon dioxide laser: an alternative surgery technique for the treatment of common cutaneous tumors in dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumors of the skin and subcutaneous tissue are the largest group of canine neoplasms. Total excision is still the most effective method for treatment of these skin tumors. For its universal properties the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser appears to be an excellent surgical instrument in veterinary surgery. Laser techniques are alternatives to traditional methods for the surgical management of tumors. The aim of this study was to compare various types of laser techniques in skin oncologic surgery: excision, ablation and mixed technique and to suggest which technique of CO2 laser procedure is the most useful in particular case of tumors in dogs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study was performed on 38 privately-owned dogs with total number of 40 skin tumors of different type removed by various CO2 laser operation techniques from 2010-2013. The treatment effect was based on the surgical wound evaluation, the relative time of healing and possible local recurrence of the tumor after 3 months post surgery. Local recurrence was observed in two cases. The study showed that in 30 cases time needed for complete resection of lesions was less than 10 minutes. Time of healing was longer than 12 days in 6 cases (42.8%) with tumor excision and in 14 cases (87.5%) where excision with ablation technique was performed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The advantages of the CO2 laser surgery were better hemostasis, precision of working, non-contact dissection, less instruments at the site of operation and minimum traumatization of the surrounding tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Science, pl, Grunwaldzki 51, 50-366 Wrocław, Poland. jopaczuska@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paczuska
authors.forename: Zdzisław
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kiełbowicz
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antończyk
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ciaputa
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nicpoń
mesh_terms: D055011:Ablation Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011044:Poland; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing