A prospective study of incisional time, blood loss, pain, and healing with carbon dioxide laser, scalpel, and electrosurgery
N. W. Pearlman, G. V. Stiegmann, V. Vance, L. W. Norton, R. C. Bell, R. Staerkel, C. W. Van Way 3rd and E. J. Bartle
Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.
Carbon dioxide laser incisions are reported to be less painful, less
bloody, and less prone to seroma formation and to heal better than scalpel
or electrosurgical incisions. We compared all three modalities in a
prospective randomized study of cholecystectomy incisions. Time required
for the incision and incisional blood loss was less with electrosurgery
than with the carbon dioxide laser or scalpel. Postoperative pain and wound
healing, however, were the same for all three techniques. The carbon
dioxide laser appears to offer no advantage over conventional means of
making a standard incision.
