• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.647-651
• /
• 2010

The advantages of the $CO_2$ laser are offset by the delay in laser wound healing secondary to thermal damage. To minimize the undesirable thermal damage of the $CO_2$ laser, investigators have developed technical advances in the delivery system of the laser energy. This study compared tissue healing of the continuous and the pulsed modes $CO_2$ laser wounds in an animal surgery model. Five healthy Landrace and Yorkshire mixed breeds of both genders were used (45-51 kg, 4-6 months old, three males and two females). A full thickness wound of skin ($2{\times}2{\times}2cm^2$) was made over on the each pig's both sides of dorsal midline at 0, 7, 14, and 18 days. The wounds created at 18, 14, 7 and 0 days were named post-wounding day (PWD) 3, 7, 14 and 21, respectively. In each pig, one wound (left side) was treated pulsed $CO_2$ laser and the other wound (right side) was treated continuous wave $CO_2$ laser. Each wound was closed with two interrupted suture of 3-0 sutures. At 21 days after initial wounding, each wound was taken for histological evaluations. The degrees of reepithelialization were performed more prominently in the pulsed mode group than in the continuous mode group. The degrees of granulation were greater significantly in pulsed mode group than those in the continuous mode on PWD 3 (p < 0.05). The degrees of fibroblasts in the pulsed mode group were greater significantly in comparison to those in the continuous mode group on PWD 7, (p < 0.05). In conclusion, reepithelialization, granulation and fibroblasts in the pulsed mode group were greater markedly in comparison to those in the continuous mode group. It was considered that pulsed mode $CO_2$ laser was more suitable for the skin incision than the continuous mode $CO_2$ laser.