Weanling pig skin 14 days after exposure to a 15 minute dose of neat HD, showing a mixed dermal and epidermal inflammatory infiltrate. There is no cytologic atypia and good ordered epidermal maturation in the lasered areas with minimal inflammatory infiltrate within the dermis. Advantages for Military Applications Studies are presently underway using new generation CO2 lasers in the debridement of thermal burns. In both chemical and thermal burns, these lasers provide a very precise debridement, which is tissue sparing, with minimal peripheral thermal damage. In addition, the laser provides hemostasis during debridement by cauterizing vessels.
Postoperative edema is decreased because lymphatic vessels are also cauterized.
No instruments are inserted into the wound, which should decrease wound infections. There may also be some decrease in infections because the laser sterilizes the wound superficially as the debridement is performed. Although these instruments reflect a significant advance in the technology of CO2 lasers, they are very simple to use, and require very little training or experience to become proficient. The speed with which the debridement can be accomplished is also an advantage, especially in a wartime situation where many patients may arrive simultaneously. Finally, the instrument is easily transported by one man and weighs less than 100 pounds.