Traditional Scalpel Research Articles

Clinical Efficiency of Diode Lasers (810+980nm) in Exposure of Maxillary Impacted Canines

Objective: An impacted canine has no eruption following the completion of the normal growth pattern. To expose an impacted canine, a laser can be used as an additional tool in addition to a scalpel and electrocautery. To compare the effectiveness of a dual diode laser with a traditional scalpel procedure for exposing impacted canines, with the parameters of bleeding and pain as main outcomes. Methods: Thirty patients were chosen for this investigation. Each of them needed an operation for canine impaction, and they were divided into two groups at random: the study group, which were treated with a dual diode laser (980+810nm), and included fifteen patients, and the control group, which were treated with a scalpel. Data obtained prior to, during, and following surgery were compared. There were follow-ups after two hours, on the second, and third days after surgery. The Student's t and the one-way ANOVA tests were used for all comparisons. Results: Thirteen males and seventeen females were examined in this study, and their mean age was 23 years. Intraoperative bleeding score showed a significantly decrease in laser group versus the surgical blade group (0.4666 vs. 0.29333, P=0.001). The postoperative pain score was significantly decreased in the laser group compared to the surgical blade group, at two hours (4.6 vs 8.233, P = 0.001), two days (2.067 vs 4.833, P=0.001), and three days (1.066 vs 2.01, P=0.001). There were significant differences in the pain and bleeding scores (P≤ 0.05). Conclusion: When using a dual diode laser (810+910nm) as opposed to a scalpel, hemostasis can be achieved with minimal pain.

A Clinical Comparison of ErCr:YSGG Laser and Scalpel Techniques in Gingival Depigmentation.

Gingival depigmentation impacts patient self-confidence and quality of life. This study compares the Er,Cr:YSGG laser to the traditional scalpel technique for reducing gingival hyperpigmentation, assessing their effectiveness and other relevant factors. We conducted a double-blind, randomized trial with a split-mouth design. Forty participants were selected from the university's dental clinic and randomly assigned to receive either the Er,Cr:YSGG laser (2780 nm) or surgical scalpel. Pain intensity and smile satisfaction were assessed post-surgery, and treatment duration was evaluated. The Dummett Oral Pigmentation Index (DOPI) was used to determine the initial severity of pigmentation and to track both reduction and potential repigmentation over time. The Gingival Melanosis Record (GMR) was used to evaluate the presence and extent of pigmentation and to monitor recurrence after 1 and 12 months. Both the Er,Cr:YSGG laser and surgical scalpel similarly reduced GMR and DOPI scores over time, without significant differences at 12 months (p > 0.05). A significant examiner variability was noted in GMR scoring (β &#61; -1.2 for Examiner 2; p < 0.001). Power analysis indicated a higher confidence for detecting treatment effects in DOPI (75%) compared to GMR (55%). Patient satisfaction with smile significantly improved (p < 0.001). Treatment type did not influence postoperative pain levels. The Er,Cr:YSGG laser required longer surgery times (p < 0.001). Under the conditions of the present study, both Er,Cr:YSGG laser and surgical scalpel were equally effective in reducing gingival hyperpigmentation. Although lasers offer better bleeding control and require less anesthesia than the scalpel technique, clinicians should also consider surgery duration, cost, and expertise when selecting a treatment method. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes and economic evaluations, utilizing standardized clinical measures.

Comparing Surgical Outcomes with Scalpel vs N110A Microneedles in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeries - RCT

Background Incisions on skin with scalpel have been linked to adverse effects such as excessive blood flow inadequate visibility caused by blood in the operating field and use of a large amount of vasoconstrictor to reduce haemorrhage from skin incision. The use of electrocautery scalpel to open skin was questioned in past for fear of delayed wound healing wound dehiscence due to thermal and tissue damage or infection. The newer finer-tipped electrocautery devices like the Colorado microdissection needle CN enable the use of smaller energy amounts thereby reducing peri-incision tissue damage compared to traditional broad-tipped devices.Methodology The current study compared CN vs. traditional scalpel incisions in various intraoral and extraoral surgical procedures. A total of 40 patients were included in this study conducted to understand the efficacy of CN in terms of speed of incision visibility bleeding effect on wound healing and scar assessment.Results The findings suggest that utilizing the CN offers several advantages. Firstly it can potentially reduce blood loss BL thereby lowering the risk of complications. Secondly it may cause minimal tissue damage leading to improved scar outcomes and quicker recovery time. Thirdly it could enhance visibility and precision for the surgeon resulting in superior surgical outcomes. Additionally the speed of incision is higher with CN.Conclusion CN offers significant benefits compared to traditional scalpels in maxillofacial surgeries. Specifically it reduces BL and enhances visibility at the surgical site. Given the critical role of BL and surgical duration in determining surgical outcomes these improvements are noteworthy.

Diathermy versus Scalpel Skin Incision for Open Inguinal Hernia Surgery: An Interventional Study

Introduction: Inguinal hernia is one of the most encountered surgical-related problems worldwide. For years, there has been debate among surgeons about which type of skin incision to use: cutting with electrocautery or the traditional method of a surgical scalpel. Aim: To compare the skin incisions made with electrocautery versus traditional scalpel incisions in terms of incision time, blood loss, postoperative pain, and scar evaluation. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based prospective interventional study was conducted at the Department of General Surgery, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry, India, from November 2019 to September 2021. Written informed consent was obtained from 130 consecutive cases scheduled for open inguinal hernia surgery. Patients were alternately assigned to undergo incision with electrocautery (group A) or a conventional steel scalpel (group B), with each group comprising 65 patients. Bilateral hernia cases were treated as separate entities. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24.0, employing the Student’s t-test and Chi-square test. A p-value of &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The age distribution in group A was 49.69±15.74 years and in Group B was 52.81±14.25 years. The time taken for incision in the electrocautery group was much shorter at 12.57±11.55 seconds than in the scalpel group at 20.63±2.99 seconds, with a p-value of &lt;0.001. The average amount of blood loss in group A was 1.02±0.35 mL and in group B was 2.03±0.32 mL, with a significant p-value of &lt;0.001. The postoperative pain, calculated by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), showed a significant difference in the early postoperative period at 6 hours after surgery in Group A at 6.58±0.9 compared to group B at 7.05±1, with a p-value of 0.005. However, no significant difference was noted between the two groups at 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. There was no significant difference in scar evaluation between group A and group B at 12 weeks, with a p-value of 0.673 for the patient score and 0.189 for the observer score. Conclusion: Electrocautery can be recommended for hernia skin incision due to its advantage of shorter incision time, minimal blood loss, and less early postoperative pain.

Comparison of Electrocautery and Scalpel Incision in Midline Abdominal Surgery

Background: With the advancement of surgical techniques, the comparison of electrocautery and scalpel incisions in midline abdominal surgeries has become an essential area of study. Traditional scalpel incisions have been known for their precision but carry risks of excessive blood loss and sharp injuries. Electrocautery, offering a potentially safer and more efficient alternative, has been gaining attention in surgical practices. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness, safety, and outcomes of electrocautery versus scalpel incisions in midline abdominal surgeries, with a focus on incision time, blood loss, wound infection, and postoperative pain. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, over 12 months from June 2021 to June 2022. A total of 150 patients, split evenly into electrocautery and scalpel groups, were evaluated. Patients aged 20-75 years, undergoing midline abdominal surgery, were included. The main parameters measured were incision time, blood loss, wound infection, and postoperative pain. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0, employing independent samples t-tests and chi-square tests. Results: The electrocautery group exhibited a significantly shorter incision time (13.73 ± 2.45 seconds) compared to the scalpel group (18.67 ± 3.02 seconds, p &lt; 0.001). Blood loss was also lower in the electrocautery group (11.47 ± 2.49 ml) than in the scalpel group (27.27 ± 4.13 ml, p &lt; 0.001). Wound infection rates were 6.7% for electrocautery and 13.3% for scalpel, though this was not statistically significant (p = 0.174). Remarkably, 100% of the electrocautery group reported postoperative pain, in contrast to none in the scalpel group (p = 0.000). Conclusion: The study concluded that electrocautery is more effective than scalpel incision in terms of incision time and blood loss, making it a preferable method for midline abdominal surgeries. However, the higher incidence of postoperative pain in the electrocautery group warrants further investigation.

Evaluating the Clinical Efficacy of Maxillary Labial Frenectomy Procedure Using Diode Laser (980 nm) and Conventional Scalpel: An Observational Study.

This is an era of minimally invasive and least traumatic surgical interventions being focused on. The traditional scalpel frenectomy technique offers an increase in post-operative sequelae. To unravel this scenario a comparative evaluation is carried out to find out the clinical outcomes and quality of life after maxillary labial frenectomy using a conventional scalpel and diode laser frenectomy of 980 nm. Thirty-six subjects age ranging between 18 and 45 years reported to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, MES Dental College, Perinthalmanna with an aberrant frenal attachment of maxillary labial frenum were randomly assigned into two groups. Group A underwent the conventional scalpel technique and group B for the diode laser-assisted (980 nm) frenectomy technique. The post-operative parameters of ooze from the surgical site, pain, wound healing, and discomfort or acceptance of the procedure were assessed on day 1, day 7, and day 14, respectively. The diode laser group exhibited statistically significant clinical and healing outcomes. Less pain, minimal or absent ooze, increased healing, and better acceptance of the procedure with diode laser at 1, 7, and 14 days recall visit. Surgical interventions involving needle puncture and the associated post-operative sequelae are the most dreaded experiences that make patients indifferent toward surgical treatments. Thus in terms of better clinical outcomes and improved quality of life diode laser frenectomy is an excellent alternative wherein a needleless anesthetic success followed by minimal surgical intervention and less post-operative sequelae with fast recovery is possible.

Comparison of Colorado Needle Electrocautery and Traditional Scalpel for Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty Incision: A Randomized Controlled Trial and Systematic Review.

A systematic review was performed to review the outcome with the conventional method (scalpel) and other methods in upper blepharoplasty procedures. Further, a prospective intraindividual randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of Colorado needle electrocautery and the scalpel in upper blepharoplasty. Study outcomes included scar quality at different times until 1-year postoperation, bleeding during incision, and postoperative ecchymosis. Five articles met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The prospective randomized controlled trial study included 30 patients; the average incisional time on the electrocautery side was significantly longer than that on the scalpel side, and the electrocautery side had less blood loss during incision than the scalpel side (2.4 versus 3.27 using average cotton bud sticks, respectively) (P < 0.001). Hypopigmented scarring occurred more frequently on the scalpel side; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Colorado needle electrocautery pure cutting mode can be an alternative to traditional scalpel for upper eyelid blepharoplasty skin incision because of long-term scar quality. Electrocautery use has hemostatic benefits, leading to a decrease in bleeding that can obscure the incision site. However, the incision time on the electrocautery side was significantly longer than the scalpel side, which may be owing to an adaptation of surgical technique.

Managing leukoplakia with diode laser: A report of two cases

Oral leukoplakia is the most common precancerous lesion of the oral mucosa. WHO defined it as a lesion which has a white patch or plaque on the oral mucosa that cannot be removed by scraping and cannot be classified clinically or microscopically as another disease process. Management of oral leukoplakia should begin with elimination of predisposing habit. There are currently different approaches in the management of Leukoplakia such as scalpel surgery, systemic carotenoids and antioxidants, electro cauterization, cryotherapy and Lasers. Even though on-surgical options are preferred choice of treatment, it takes time to achieve complete regression of lesion and sometimes may not achieve complete resolution. On the other hand, conventional surgical techniques are invasive and cause trauma to the patient. Excision of precancerous oral lesions using LASER offers comparative advantages over traditional scalpel excision. Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. It is surgical technique which excises the targeted tissue using emission of a monochromatic light of specific wavelength. Because of this property, laser excision of the tissue results in complete bloodless field of surgery, reduced chances of post-surgical inflammation and infections and hence better treatment compliance of the patients towards the surgery. This is one of the important goals for management of oral potentially malignant disorders. We present two case reports of homogeneous leukoplakia treated using diode lasers of wavelength 810nm with follow-up. Both cases did not report any post-operative discomfort or inflammation. The aim of this case report is to highlight the importance of laser excision with minimal complications and better treatment outcomes.

Monopolar electrocautery versus sharp dissection in the neck dissection: a retrospective study

The cold scalpel/scissors (CS) and the monopolar electrocautery (ME) are still the most commonly used instruments for neck dissection in head and neck oncology. However, a direct comparison of these techniques does not exist. This study aims to compare these techniques concerning blood loss, the decline of hemoglobin levels, and surgery duration. Data on 200 patients who received tumor resection, neck dissection and either a radial forearm free flap (RFFF)or a primary closure (PC) were examined retrospectively. The patients were divided according to the performed defect closure (RFFF or PC) and the main instrument usedfor the beck dissection (Group 1: RFFF and ME, Group 2: RFFF and CS, Group 3: PC and ME Group 4: PC and CS). The intraoperative blood loss, decline of hemoglobin values and surgery duration were analyzed and compared between the corresponding groups. The patients where the ME was used lost on average 409.93 ml (group 1 vs. 2) and 242.4 ml (group 3 vs. 4) less blood. The median decrease in the hemoglobin levels was by 1.01 g/dL (group 1 vs. 2) and 0.85 g/dL (group 3 vs. 4) lower for the ME. The median surgery duration was by 102 min (group 1 vs. 2) and 83 min (group 3 vs. 4) shorterfor the ME. All differences were statistically significant. Traditional scalpel and scissors used for neck dissection lead to significantly higher blood loss and longer operation time than the monopolar electrocautery.

A Cryostat-Based Frozen Section Method to Increase the Yield of Extracellular Vesicles Extracted from Different Tissues

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small vesicles mediating intercellular communications that have been widely used in disease diagnosis. Extracting EVs from tissues is of great importance, but current approaches are finite and the EV yield is limited. Here, the authors introduced a new method to increase EV yield based on frozen sectioning. With a standardized, semiautomated tissue-slicing procedure in a cryostat, the authors successfully isolated EVs from hearts, kidneys and stomachs. The morphology, size distribution and purity of those isolated EVs were evaluated. Additionally, compared with the traditional scalpel section method, they confirmed the higher yield of tissue-derived EVs with the cryostat-based method. The authors believe that the new method they developed would largely facilitate the research and clinical application of EVs.

Application of laser technologies in patients with flat red oral mucosa

This study reviews evidence on the diagnosis and treatment of lichen planus in the oral mucosa, and also evaluates the effectiveness of using erbium and neodymium lasers and scalpels for the surgical treatment of patients diagnosed with the same. Previous clinical and biomedical studies found that laser technologies offered several advantages over traditional scalpel treatment, including less tissue trauma, selective effects on the lesion, more favorable postoperative outcomes, and a shorter rehabilitation period. These factors, in turn, contributed to an increase in the efficiency of surgical treatment and a reduction in the likelihood of recurrence and postoperative complications.

Haemostatic devices in parotid surgery: a systematic review.

The Harmonic Scalpel and Ligasure (Covidien) devices are commonly used in head and neck surgery. Parotidectomy is a complex and intricate surgery that requires careful dissection of the facial nerve. This study aimed to compare surgical outcomes in parotidectomy using these haemostatic devices with traditional scalpel and cautery. A systematic review of the literature was performed with subsequent meta-analysis of seven studies that compared the use of haemostatic devices to traditional scalpel and cautery in parotidectomy. Outcome measures included: temporary facial paresis, operating time, intra-operative blood loss, post-operative drain output and length of hospital stay. A total of 7 studies representing 675 patients were identified: 372 patients were treated with haemostatic devices, and 303 patients were treated with scalpel and cautery. Statistically significant outcomes favouring the use of haemostatic devices included operating time, intra-operative blood loss and post-operative drain output. Outcome measures that did not favour either treatment included facial nerve paresis and length of hospital stay. Overall, haemostatic devices were found to reduce operating time, intra-operative blood loss and post-operative drain output.

Comparative Study on the Treatment of Ankyloglossia by Using Er:YAG Laser or Traditional Scalpel.

The aim of this study was to compare, respectively, postoperative pain, wound healing, and patient satisfaction following lingual frenum extension treated with the Erbium Yttrium aluminum garnet. (Er:YAG) laser or the conventional scalpel. Twenty-eight patients receiving lingual frenectomy were randomly assigned to the Er:YAG laser group (n = 15) or the traditional scalpel group (n = 13). The surgical parameters were set to 3W or 4W basing on types of the lingual frenum when the Er:YAG laser was working. The same procedure was applied to the traditional scalpel group with transverse incision and longitudinal suture. The postoperative pain, wound healing and patient satisfaction were evaluated at 3 hours, 3, 7, and 30 days after operation. The visual analog scale score of postoperative pain in Er:YAG laser group was lower than that in traditional scalpel group at each time point. The wound healing score of the laser group were significantly lower than that of the traditional scalpel group at 3 and 7 days after surgery. There was no significant difference in mental, diet, and language satisfaction between the 2 groups at different time points after operation. In conclusion, Er:YAG laser was superior to the scalpel regarding minor soft-tissue surgery, and it could relieve the pain and discomfort of patients in the early stage of wound.

&lt;p&gt;Primary Dermis Fat Grafting for Socket Reconstruction: Retrospective Comparison of Electrocoagulation versus Scalpel Dissection for Epidermis Removal&lt;/p&gt;

PurposeTo evaluate outcomes of the use of electrocoagulation for epidermis removal in dermis fat grafting (DFG) compared to the conventional scalpel dissection in patients who underwent primary anophthalmic socket reconstruction.DesignRetrospective, observational, and comparative study.MethodsA retrospective review was performed on patients who underwent primary DFG for socket reconstruction between 2017 and 2019 at tertiary teaching hospitals. Patients with previous orbital surgery, previous radiotherapy to the periocular region, any medical condition that affects healing, cicatrizing ocular surface disease or heavy smokers were excluded. Patients with complete documentation of preoperative and postoperative data only were included. Patients were divided into two groups; group A: epidermis removal by the traditional scalpel dissection and group B: epidermis removal using low power setting electrocoagulation. The main outcome was the timing of complete epithelialization of the dermis layer. Other outcomes included implant motility, prosthesis fitting, patient’s satisfaction, and any complications.ResultsA total of 27 patients met the study criteria, and the mean follow-up period was 24.81 months. There were no differences between both groups regarding preoperative characteristics. The mean duration of complete epithelialization of the DFG implant was 9.15 ± 2.94 weeks in group A compared to 22.29 ± 4.43 weeks in group B (p value <0.001). Dermal ulceration was noticed in 9 patients (64.3%) in group B compared to none in group A (p value =0.001). Dermal ulceration was significantly associated with long conjunctival healing period (p value <0.001). Volume loss was more common in group B while graft hirsutism and granuloma were more evident in group A. Final prosthesis fitting was possible in all included patients.ConclusionEpidermis removal using the electrocoagulation is related to much more delayed epithelialization of the dermis with a higher rate of dermal ulceration compared to the scalpel dissection technique. However, there was no significant difference between both groups regarding the final prosthesis fitting or the overall patient satisfaction.

COMBINATION OF FRENOTOMY AND GINGIVECTOMY TREATMENT WITH LASER DIODES AS AESTHETIC CORRECTIONS: A CASE REPORT

ABSTRACTBackground: High tension on the frenum in some cases may generate chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can trigger gingival enlargement, thereby resulting in unfavorable aesthetic appearance. Frenotomy and gingivectomy are surgical procedures that are often performed in periodontics field to overcome such condition. The use of lasers in frenectomy/frenotomy and gingivectomy methods is still uncommon but more convenient than using a scalpel. Diode lasers exhibit several advantages over conventional methods because it can control the bleeding and is also painless that may reduce the need of anesthesia. Objectives: To report the likelihood of diode lasers instead of conventional methods using scalpels in frenotomy and gingivectomy for aesthetic corrections. Case: A 20-years-old female patient arrived at Periodontics Department of Airlangga University to repair gums in upper and lower jaw region. Patient felt less confident with the state of her gum which discerned to cover the portion of her teeth and wished to receive surgical treatment for aesthetics improvement. No involvement of systemic disease and drug consumption was noted in this case. Case Management: The management of such aberrant frenum was accomplished by performing labial frenotomy and removing enlarged tissues which is a common surgical procedure in the field of periodontics. Dental lasers are currently being employed in manyfields of periodontics, providing alternatives to traditional scalpel techniques. Conclusion: Surgical treatment in cases of aberrant frenum and gingival enlargement using diode lasers (Epic X, Biolase) for aesthetic correction provides satisfactory results with minimum pain and rapid healing. Keywords: Aberrant frenum, Diode laser ,Frenotomy, Gingivectomy

Design and application of a retractable scalpel handle

The scalpel is the most practical tool for surgeons. The traditional scalpel is a blade with a split handle, but the length of the blade cannot be adjusted, and it is easy to scratch medical staff. In order to solve the above problems, a retractable scalpel handle was designed by the medical staffs of department of general surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University (Clinical Teaching Hospital of Dalian Medical University), and obtained the National Utility Model Patent of China (ZL 2019 2 0203154.9). The telescopic scalpel adopted the design of rotary telescopic sleeve and threaded column handle to achieve the purpose of built-in blade. By rotating the handle at one end of the handle, the length of the surgical blade extending out of the sleeve could be adjusted according to the actual needs. The structure of the device is simple and easy to operate. The adjustable blade length could also achieve the purpose of accurate operation while effectively avoiding the injury of medical personnel during the operation.

Incidence of Post-Vasectomy Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to ascertain incidences of post-vasectomy pain following traditional scalpel, or non-scalpel vasectomy. Electronic databases PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO were searched up to 1 July 2019 for peer-reviewed articles recording post-vasectomy pain. We identified 733 publications, screened 559 after removal of duplicates and excluded 533. Of the remaining 26 full-text articles, 8 were excluded with reasons, leaving 18 for detailed analyses. Meta-analysis was performed on 25 separate datasets (11 scalpel, 11 non-scalpel, 3 other/combined). Study follow-up ranged from 2 weeks to 37 years and sample sizes from 12 to 723 patients. The overall incidence of post-vasectomy pain was 15% (95% CI 9% to 25%). The incidences of post-vasectomy pain following scalpel and non-scalpel techniques were 24% (95% CI 15% to 36%) and 7% (95% CI 4% to 13%), respectively. Post-vasectomy pain syndrome occurred in 5% (95% CI 3% to 8%) of subjects, with similar estimates for both techniques. We conclude that the overall incidence of post-vasectomy pain is greater than previously reported, with three-fold higher rates of pain following traditional scalpel, compared to non-scalpel vasectomy, whereas the incidence of post-vasectomy pain syndrome is similar.

Scalpel versus diathermy skin incision: a randomised clinical trial

Background: Scalpel skin incision produces a clean, incised wound with minimal tissue destruction. Cutting diathermy also produces an incised wound that heals as well as the one that is created by cold scalpel but with an added advantage of achieving quick hemostasis and saving operative time. The main thing of the present study is to verify and compare the usefulness of diathermy skin incision vs. scalpel skin incision in general surgical patients.Methods: The study was conducted in Medical College and Hospital, in 60 patients randomly selected for diathermy and scalpel incision, between 14-65 years age group, between January 2011-June 2012. Post operative pain, seroma, hematoma, discharge were observed and results were analyzed and compared for the two groups using Mann-Whitney U Test.Results: Diathermy group, with incision related time of 6.20±0.97 sec/cm, was significantly quicker (p=0.003) than scalpel incision, with incision time of 6.76±0.84 sec/cm. Postoperative pain scores, recorded daily over five days, showed insignificant difference between the two groups.Conclusions: We demonstrate that the diathermy provides efficient cutting of skin, with no superior wound-healing profile, comparable to that of the traditional scalpel blade.

Preservation of keratinized gingiva around dental implants using a diode laser when uncovering implants for second stage surgery.

The aim of the present study was to assess if a 940-nm diode laser or a traditional scalpel approach is more effective in minimizing patient comfort and postoperative sequelae, preserving peri-implant keratinized mucosa, and in enhancing impression quality after uncovering dental implants. We designed a prospective, split mouth, single blinded, randomi¬zed controlled trial with patients who needed uncovering of dental implants. Our analysis included 388 implants in 73 patients. Split mouth technique was used to compare two approaches for uncovering implants: laser study group vs. scalpel control group. Patients were evaluated for intra- and post-operative pain and bleeding. At 1, 2, and 3 weeks post procedure patients in both groups were rechecked for postoperative sequelae, keratinized mucosal thickness quality and quantity, and accuracy of the implant emergence profile. The laser study group showed that there was a reduction in postoperative pain and bleeding that was statistically significant in comparison to the control group. There were also statistically significant differences in gingival color and presence or absence of soft tissue edema and in the gingival was emergency profile between the laser and scalpel sides at 1, 2, and 3 weeks' post-procedure. Statistically significant differences (p< 0.001) were observed between the two groups in the criteria of ideal or satisfactory soft tissue projection in the gingival emergency profile, which indicates that impressions can be taken immediately or within 1 week after laser surgery. Uncovering dental implants using a diode laser operating at the wavelength of 940 ±10 nm, and a power output of 0.4-10 W is recommended for preparing an accurate implant emergence profile. Laser treatment can also effectively preserve keratinized mucosa around implants in comparison to the conventional scalpel technique.

Enhanced organic species identification via laser structuring of carbon monolithic surfaces

It is important to be able to control the physical and chemical integrity of carbon-based porous monolith structures while being tailored for targeted analytical, energy and catalytic based applications. A set up using a CO2 laser in continuous mode (CW CO2 laser) was implemented to cut fragile and porous carbon monolithic (CM) and nanotemplated carbon monolithic (NTCM) rods into discs with a prescribed thickness and dimensional integrity (denoted as LCM and LNTCM, or LCMs). Changes in structure, porosity and composition of LCMs were induced by the efficient thermal energy afforded by the CW CO2 laser irradiation under tightly controlled process conditions. The main effects observed before and after laser cutting were studied in comparison with traditional scalpel blade cutting of carbon monolithic (SCM). FE-SEM images confirmed that the resulting LCMs exhibited a more open, interconnected macroporous structure and smoothed mesopores to a depth of approximately 5 μm, while the structure of the bulk section remained intact. Minimal changes in chemical compositions were confirmed by XPS. Raman spectroscopy revealed a modest increase in the graphitic content on the cross sections of LCM discs. Phenol and Bisphenol A (BPA) was used as a model analyte for demonstration of resulting discs adsorption performance.