Impairment of skin graft take after CO2 laser surgery in melanoma patients

Twenty-four patients presenting with primary malignant melanoma of the skin (stage 1) were submitted to wide excision of the tumour, followed by immediate split-skin grafting. In 12 patients a CO2 laser was used to excise the melanoma and only 1 of these patients had a 100 per cent skin graft take, while 9 out of 12 patients whose melanoma was exercised with a conventional scalpel had a 100 per cent take. It is concluded that skin excision with the CO2 laser impairs subsequent skin graft take.