Pulsed 2.94-microns erbium-YAG laser skin ablation--experimental results and first clinical application.

In the present study we compared skin-ablative effects produced by 2.94-microns pulsed erbium-YAG radiation on pig skin with those of the pulsed 308-nm UV excimer laser, continuous-wave CO2 laser, electrocautery and cold-knife surgery. Pulsed 2.94-microns radiation led to clean ablation craters and precise cuts with only minimal adjacent tissue damage followed by excellent healing without apparent scarring. These experimental results are consistent with those obtained from first clinical applications in the treatment of epidermal naevi and tattoos. However, since coagulation was insufficient to prevent bleeding and because of low repetition rates provided, the Er-YAG lasers currently available seem as yet of limited value for effective removal of deeper or larger lesions.