Surgical removal of dorsal wrist ganglion with a new laser scalpel

摘要

A novel laser scalpel, consisting of a clad conically-sculptured silica tip (core diameter: 600Μm; end diameter: 150Μm transmitting radiation from a 10 W CW Nd-YAG laser, was used for the excision of a dorsal wrist ganglion. The dynamic range of this instrument (17–57 kW cm−2) easily suffices for the cutting of soft tissues, which feature is combined with impressive haemostatic properties, thus obviating the need for tourniquet control. Morphological examination of the excised ganglion reveals a peripheral zone of heat-damaged collagenoius tissue containing vessel profiles which show signs of thermally-induced blood flow s