Laser(-assisted) nerve repair. A review.

Over the last decade low power laser irradiation has been used to repair nerves by photothermal welding. Nineteen animal and clinical experimental studies of laser tissue welding of nerves are reviewed. Possible mechanisms of tissue welding are presented, together with the benefits, limitations, and possible future implications of several techniques used in laser nerve repair. The consensus of these studies is that nerve welding has some advantages over standard suture repair. These advantages include less neuroma- und scar formation and shorter repair time. The major disadvantage of laser nerve repair is the initial inferior tensile strength. In the future, use of dyes or proteins could enhance the welding process by reinforcing the union strength, thus may improve the results of this promising technique.