Tissue precooling for thermochemical damage reduction during laser surgery.

This report describes a preliminary investigation of the possibility of reducing the thermal damage induced by lasers in the course of laser surgery. Skin incisions made by CO2 laser beams--with and without precooling--were evaluated and compared with scalpel cuts. Full thickness cuts were carried out on the flank of adult cats. Precooling was achieved by spraying chlorethyl just before the laser application. Both the precooled and the regular laser incisions were bloodless. The precooled cuts however produced considerably less amount of charring and therefore smoother and cleaner cut edge. The incisions were sutured and the cats were kept under supervision. Upon inspection four weeks later all incisions were completely healed. No skin thickening or keloid were present. The scar produced by the regular laser technique was much more pronounced and wide relative both to the scars of the precooled or the scalpel cuts which were almost alike.