Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Western Journal of Medicine logoLink to The Western Journal of Medicine
. 1985 Apr;142(4):506–510.

Lasers in Cardiovascular Surgery—Current Status

John G Hunter 1, John A Dixon 1
PMCID: PMC1306073  PMID: 3160168

Abstract

The argon, carbon dioxide and neodymium-YAG lasers have been proposed as effective instruments for surgical procedures of the intact cardiovascular system. While argon and CO2 lasers cause superficial (0 to 1 mm) thermal injury, the Nd:YAG laser is better suited for effecting deep thermal necrosis (3 to 4 mm). Microsurgical vessel anastomoses can be done by “tissue welding” with any of the three clinical lasers. Myocardial revascularization may be accomplished by drilling “neocapillaries” in ischemic myocardium. Endocardial resection for destroying arrhythmic pathways and removing hypertrophied septal muscle has also been successfully accomplished with laser phototherapy. Last, laser-mediated vaporization of atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries and peripheral circulation may offer a percutaneous approach to the treatment of arterial occlusive disease. Cardiovascular uses of lasers are purely investigational at the current time. Much more needs to be known before widespread clinical use of lasers in the cardiovascular system can occur.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abela G. S., Normann S., Cohen D., Feldman R. L., Geiser E. A., Conti C. R. Effects of carbon dioxide, Nd-YAG, and argon laser radiation on coronary atheromatous plaques. Am J Cardiol. 1982 Dec;50(6):1199–1205. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(82)90448-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. CAMPBELL C. J., NOYORI K. S., RITTLER M. C., INNIS R. E., KOESTER C. J. THE APPLICATION OF FIBER LASER TECHNIQUES TO RETINAL SURGERY. Arch Ophthalmol. 1964 Dec;72:850–857. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1964.00970020852022. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Choy D. S., Stertzer S. H., Rotterdam H. Z., Bruno M. S. Laser coronary angioplasty: experience with 9 cadaver hearts. Am J Cardiol. 1982 Dec;50(6):1209–1211. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(82)90450-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Choy D. S., Stertzer S., Rotterdam H. Z., Sharrock N., Kaminow I. P. Transluminal laser catheter angioplasty. Am J Cardiol. 1982 Dec;50(6):1206–1208. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(82)90449-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. GOLDMAN L. COMPARISON OF THE BIOMEDICAL EFFECTS OF THE EXPOSURE OF HUMAN TISSUES TO LOW AND HIGH ENERGY LASERS. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1965 May 29;122:802–831. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb20264.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gerrity R. G., Loop F. D., Golding L. A., Ehrhart L. A., Argenyi Z. B. Arterial response to laser operation for removal of atherosclerotic plaques. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1983 Mar;85(3):409–421. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ginsburg R., Kim D. S., Guthaner D., Toth J., Mitchell R. S. Salvage of an ischemic limb by laser angioplasty: description of a new technique. Clin Cardiol. 1984 Jan;7(1):54–58. doi: 10.1002/clc.4960070112. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jain K. K., Gorisch W. Repair of small blood vessels with the neodymium-YAG laser: a preliminary report. Surgery. 1979 Jun;85(6):684–688. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Josephson M. E., Horowitz L. N., Farshidi A., Spear J. F., Kastor J. A., Moore E. N. Recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia. 2. Endocardial mapping. Circulation. 1978 Mar;57(3):440–447. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.57.3.440. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lawrence P. F., Dries D. J., Moatamed F., Dixon J. Acute effects of argon laser on human atherosclerotic plaque. J Vasc Surg. 1984 Nov;1(6):852–859. doi: 10.1067/mva.1984.avs0010852. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MCGUFF P. E., BUSHNELL D., SOROFF H. S., DETERLING R. A., Jr STUDIES OF THE SURGICAL APPLICATIONS OF LASER (LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION). Surg Forum. 1963;14:143–145. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Maxwell G. P., Szabo Z., Buncke H. J., Jr Aneurysms after microvascular anastomoses. Incidence and pathogenesis in experimental animals. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1979 Jun;63(6):824–829. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mirhoseini M., Muckerheide M., Cayton M. M. Transventricular revascularization by laser. Lasers Surg Med. 1982;2(2):187–198. doi: 10.1002/lsm.1900020209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Spears J. R., Marais H. J., Serur J., Pomerantzeff O., Geyer R. P., Sipzener R. S., Weintraub R., Thurer R., Paulin S., Gerstin R. In vivo coronary angioscopy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1983 May;1(5):1311–1314. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(83)80145-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Spears J. R., Serur J., Shropshire D., Paulin S. Fluorescence of experimental atheromatous plaques with hematoporphyrin derivative. J Clin Invest. 1983 Feb;71(2):395–399. doi: 10.1172/JCI110782. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Van Stiegmann G., Kahn D., Rose A. G., Bornman P. C., Terblanche J. Endoscopic laser endarterectomy. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1984 Jun;158(6):529–534. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. YAHR W. Z., STRULLY K. J., HURWITT E. S. NON-OCCLUSIVE SMALL ARTERIAL ANASTOMOSIS WITH A NEODYMIUM LASER. Surg Forum. 1964;15:224–226. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Western Journal of Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES