Microvascular anastomosis with a low-output carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. I. Laser device, techniques and conditions of anastomosis.

A low-output carbon dioxide laser was tentatively fabricated and applied to facilitate microvascular anastomosis. The femoral arteries and veins of Wistar albino rats were end-to-end anastomosed by either irradiating with a CO2 laser or the conventional technique of manual suturing. The CO2 laser was used at a power level of 21-40 mW and an exposure time of 5-15 sec. The patency rate was 96.2% for arteries and 92.6% for veins with the laser technique, while it was 97.6% for arteries and 78.0% for veins with the conventional technique. There was no significant difference between these two techniques in the patency rate of arteries, however, veins showed a significantly higher rate with the laser technique than with the conventional technique. The main advantages of the laser technique are that it is easier to perform and less time-consuming than the conventional technique of manual suturing.