Observations on the effects of CO2‐laser on rat myocardium

The effect of CO2-laser burn on rat myocardium was studied to evaluate a hypothesis developed by Mirhoseini and Cayton that infarcted myocardium may be revascularized by establishing an alternative circulation from a ventricle to the coronary arteries by means of laser channels burned through the myocardium. The hearts of 22 rats were examined histologically for a period ranging from a few minutes to 50 days after CO2 laser was applied to the myocardium. The laser initiated an intense inflammatory response in the myocardium adjacent to the target site. The authors believe that the inflammatory response, observed in this study to the Biophy-Las 80 surgical laser, must be reduced if laser is to be an effective means of myocardial revascularization.