The effect of gallium-aluminum-arsenide 808-nm low-level laser therapy on healing of skin incisions made using a diode laser.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on healing of skin incisions made using a diode laser in rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighteen Wistar rats were used for this study. Two parallel incisions (approximately 15 mm in length) were performed on the left and right side of the dorsum of each rat using a diode laser (4-W output powers with a tip 300 microm in diameter, 6 mm long, and 635-nm aiming beam). The wound on the left side of each rat received laser stimulation (10 J/cm2) from an 808-nm-wavelength gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser (Laser Source Power 20W, Laser Class IV, Medical Class IIB, Input Power Supply 230+/-10% VAC). They were assigned to two experimental groups: Group 1, diode laser (control); Group 2, diode laser+LLLT.

RESULTS: It was determined that there was a significant difference between the diode laser and diode laser+LLLT groups in inflammation at day 10 and a difference in reepithelization at day 20 but no significant difference in inflammation at day 20.

CONCLUSIONS: Diode laser incision (4 W) with 10 J/cm2 LLLT seems to have a beneficial effect on skin incisions in rats. As a result, it can be concluded that wound closure was significantly enhanced with lllt on diode laser incisions in rats.