[Laser surgery of the vocal cord. An experimental study (author's transl)].

In animals the endolaryngeal application of laser rays of the Nd: YAG Laser MediLas (lambda = 1.06 mum) was tested under microsurgical conditions, the early and late alterations of the vocal cords caused by a dosage of 17 watt/mm2 fractioned over 7 sec were endoscopically observed and studied by light- and electronmicroscopy. A circumscribed vocal cord edema induced by laser entails no functional impairment whatsoever. Histologically the laser lesions can be interpreted as epithelial defect with a reactive inflammation of the adjacent connective tissue. A fundamental loss in substance cannot be realized. The superficial defect healed within 18 days; after 7 weeks the zone of regeneration and the undamaged part of the vocal cord could no longer be differentiated neither by light- nor by electronmicroscopy. Laser surgery has the special merit of permitting a touchless and bloodless operation. These experiences with the Nd: YAG Laser MediLas encourage us to use this procedure in clinical tests for the therapy of benignant squamous epithelium hyperplasia of vocal cords.