Healing of electrosurgical incisions in gingiva: early histologic observations in adult men.

The healing of electrosurgical incisions in the gingivae of adult men was investigated at 6-hour intervals. Clinical observation indicated that incisions healed progressively until 72 hours, when they were barely discernible. Clinical evidence of inflammation associated with the wounds was negligible. At a light microscopic level, initial reaction to electrosurgical incisions included disruption of the surface epithelium and denaturation of the connective tissue lateral to the incision. The zone of denatured connective tissue remained for the entire 72-hour period of this study. Young fibroblasts and vascular proliferation were evident in the connective tissue at 30 hours. Epithelium exhibited complete bridging of the wound surface in some specimens as early as 30 hours after incision. All specimens had an intact epithelial surface at 48 hours. Mild-to-moderate accumulations of inflammatory cells, consisting primarily of lymphocytes, surrounded the wound edges. Acute inflammation with polymorphonuclear leukocytic infiltration was not observed, except for moderate accumulation at 6 to 12 hours. Subepithelial hematoma formation within the connective tissue was evident in four of the size specimens at 72 hours.