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Carbon dioxide gas as a perfusion medium for the sapphire probe in laser ablation of human atheromatous plaques: Comparison study with saline
Author(s) -
Yang Xiaoming,
Manninen Hannu,
Kankkunen Jussi P.,
Ji Hongxiu,
Naukkarinen Anita,
Suhonen Matti,
Soimakallio Seppo
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/lsm.1900100505
Subject(s) - ablation , sapphire , saline , perfusion , laser ablation , carbon dioxide , carbon dioxide laser , biomedical engineering , materials science , laser , pathology , chemistry , medicine , optics , radiology , laser surgery , physics , organic chemistry
The effectiveness of CO, gas as a perfusion medium was compared to that of saline in laser ablation of human atheromatous plaque. In an experimental circulation–occlusion model using flowing whole blood, human cadaveric arterial samples were irradiated by a sapphire probe with the Nd‐YAG laser. The following experiments were performed: (1) lasing without perfusion, (2) lasing with saline perfusion of the probe, and (3) lasing with CO 2 perfusion. Different perfusion flow rates of saline and CO 2 were used. Results showed that the mean ablation area was 1.6‐fold larger with CO 2 than with saline perfusion ( P < 0.05, Student's t test). The mean lateral injury at the site adjacent to the ablation crater and at the area directly facing the probe was not significantly different with either perfusion medium. The larger ablation area with CO 2 was probably due to the fact that CO 2 is a good insulator for maintaining a higher probe temperature and keeps the probe free of blood debris. In conclusion, our results show that CO 2 perfusion facilitates more effective laser ablation of atheromatous plaque than saline perfusion by the sapphire probe with the continuous wave Nd‐YAG laser.