ISSN:
1435-604X
Keywords:
CO2 laser
;
Contact Nd-YAG laser
;
Combined CO2 and Nd-YAG laser
;
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty
;
Sleep apnoea
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
,
Physics
,
Technology
Notes:
Abstract Three different surgical lasers, ie CO2, contact Nd-YAG and Combolaser (combined simultaneous and co-axial CO2+Nd-YAG laser beam), were used for 76 uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) operations. The effects of different lasers on intra-operative bleeding, operation time and post-operative pain were compared. Sixty patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and 16 patients with socially disturbing snoring were operated on. The CO2 laser was used in 24 patients, contact Nd-YAG was used in 27 patients and Combolaser was used in 25 patients. The Combolaser was associated with significantly less intra-operative bleeding and a shorter operation time. During the immediate recovery period, post-operative pain was most mild after operations with the CO2 laser when graded according to need for analgesics, or by the patients' subjective evaluation. Concerning possible post-operative complaints or overall outcome of the UPPP operation, no differences were found between the lasers.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02161293
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