The depth of thermal necrosis using the CO2 laser: a comparison of the superpulsed mode and conventional mode.

In order to compare the depth of thermal necrosis on human skin using the superpulse CO2 laser to the conventional CO2 laser, single impacts of various laser settings were fired at both ends of fusiform excisions done for other clinical purposes. These laser impacts were then examined histologically and the superpulse mode was found to limit the depth of thermal necrosis by approximately a factor of two.