Removal of Benign Oral Tumors and Tumor-Like Lesions by CO 2 Laser Application

The experience with laser surgery removal of 339 benign tumors and tumor-like lesions is summarized. The use of the CO₂ laser is regarded as especially favorable for the treatment of hemangioma (90 cases), granuloma fissuratum (52 cases), papilloma (51 cases), fibroma (45 cases), epulis (39 cases), and naveus flammeus (17 cases). Ten of the patients suffered from clotting disturbances and 45 patients were at high risk due to other diseases. The operations were performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. Pathologic tissues were removed by vaporization in 110 cases and by excision in 229 cases. During surgery, the advantages of using the CO₂ laser were well represented: tissue protective technique, asepticity, minimal postoperative pain and edema, rapid wound healing, insignificant scarring, less than 6% of recurrence rate, repeatability of the treatment, and minimal functional impairment in the oral cavity.