The Effects of Multiple Power Densities of Carbon Dioxide Laser on Photothermal Damage in Rat Skin Tissue

In the study, 24 Wistar rats were used to investigate the photothermal damage caused by different power densities of a CO2 laser on skin tissue. The rats were divided into two groups: 16 for histological examination and 8 for tensile testing. They were anesthetized and subjected to 0.5 cm surgical incisions, with one side serving as a control and the other exposed to CO2 laser at power levels of 12.5, 14.1, 15.6, and 17.2 W/cm2. Histological analysis showed that higher doses of laser radiation correlated with more severe tissue damage, including epidermal obliteration, coagulation, hyalinization, and hair loss. The study concluded that CO2 laser exposure at these power densities results in significant skin burns and coagulation.