Histopathological and Postoperative Behavioral Comparison of Rodent Oral Tongue Resection Fiber-Enabled CO2 Laser versus Electrocautery

Objective. To compare operative time and hemostasis of fiber-enabled CO2 laser (FECL) energy to that of the elec- trocautery (EC) technique for oral tongue resection, to compare return to oral intake and preoperative weight after FECL and EC resection, and to compare histologic changes in adjacent tissue after FECL and EC resection. Study Design. Prospective animal study. Setting. Research laboratory. Subjects and Methods. The CO2 laser fiber and the Bovie cautery were each used to resect the anterior tongue in 15 adult rats. Fixative perfusion and killing were performed on postoperative day 0 (n = 10), 3 (n = 10), or 7 (n = 10). Body weight, food intake, and water intake were recorded daily for 3- and 7-day survival rats. After preparation for his- tologic analysis, the tongue tissue was graded with a muco- sal wound-healing scale (MWHS). Results. A higher incidence of intraoperative bleeding and shorter operative times were noted in the EC group. No statistically significant difference in postoperative food or water intake between the EC and FECL groups was noted. The FECL group returned to baseline weight by postopera- tive day 6. MWHS scores were lower in the EC group by postoperative day 3 and lower in the FECL group by post- operative day 7. Conclusions. Both EC and FECL are effective for resection of the tongue in rats. EC has the advantage of shorter opera- tive time and lower MWHS scores by postoperative day 3; FECL has the advantages of less intraoperative bleeding, faster return to baseline body weight, and lower MWHS score by postoperative day 7.