ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We present a new method of diode laser stapedoplasty - high-power short-pulse mode with preliminary carbonization of the waveguide and a single spot of laser ablation. AIMS/OBJECTIVE: The aim of our research is the safety evaluation of presented mode 0.98 µm diode laser cochleostomy in guinea pigs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Guinea pigs (n = 10) received 0.98 µm diode laser cochleostomy on one ear under general anesthesia. The control group was based on untreated ears (n = 10). The assessment of auditory function was performed using the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) before and 7 d after surgery. To assess the degree of damage from the laser cochleas were extracted for histological examination. RESULTS: To evaluate the negative impact of laser energy on OHCs and auditory function, we analyzed DPOAE amplitudes for 6400 and 8000 Hz since high frequency. The paired Student's t-test showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The histological examination yielded no statistically significant difference in the number of intact OHCs in the two groups. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Our study confirms that the proposed method of high-power short pulse diode laser stapedotomy is safe for the inner ear. Further prospective and randomized clinical trials are required to evaluate the possible benefits of this method.
Subject(s)
Cochlea/surgery , Laser Therapy/instrumentation , Lasers, Semiconductor , Stapes Surgery/instrumentation , Animals , Guinea Pigs , Laser Therapy/methods , Male , Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous , Otosclerosis , Stapes Surgery/methodsABSTRACT
In recent decades, semiconductor lasers have been successfully used in rhinology. However, their usage in the reduction of the nasal swell body (NSB) is barely studied. Our research aimed to conduct an experimental selection of the laser exposure mode in the NSB zone using a 970 nm diode laser for safe and effective NSB reduction. The thermometric parameters of a diode laser with a wavelength of 970 nm were evaluated in a continuous contact mode of exposure at the power from 2 W to 10 W with 2 W step. The laser was targeted at the liver of cattle, given its similar optical properties to the NSB region. After a series of experiments with every power rate and the analysis of temperature data, we estimated an optimal exposure mode at a power of 4 W. The collected thermometric data demonstrate the safety of this mode in a clinical setting for NSB reduction due to causing no thermal damage to the adjacent tissue. Based on the experiment, a technique for laser reduction of the NSB was developed to improve nasal breathing in patients with severe hypertrophy of this area. The proposed technique was applied to 39 patients with chronic vasomotor rhinitis and the NSB. All patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 20 patients who underwent surface contact laser-turbinectomy and the NSB reduction using a 970 nm diode laser. Group 2 included 19 patients with the same pathology who underwent laser-turbinectomy, without reduction of the NSB. No statistically significant difference was observed during the dynamic observation with an objective assessment of nasal respiration according to active anterior rhinomanometry when comparing these subgroups with each other according to the t-criterion for independent samples (p > 0.05). As a result of comparing the data obtained on the NOSE scale using the Student's t-test, a statistically significant difference is observed (p < 0.001). Thus, patients who did not perform the reduction of the NSB subjectively noted the insufficiency of nasal breathing. This fact indicates that the NSB is involved in the regulation of airflow.
