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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2013 Jan 1;18(1):e38-44.
doi: 10.4317/medoral.17960.

Comparison of pain and swelling after removal of oral leukoplakia with CO₂ laser and cold knife: a randomized clinical trial

Pía López-Jornet  1 , Fabio Camacho-Alonso
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparison of pain and swelling after removal of oral leukoplakia with CO₂ laser and cold knife: a randomized clinical trial

Pía López-Jornet et al. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare conventional surgery with carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser in patients with oral leukoplakia, and to evaluate the postoperative pain and swelling.

Study design: A total of 48 patients (27 males and 21 females) with a mean age of 53.7 ± 11.7 years and diagnosed with oral leukoplakia were randomly assigned to receive treatment either with conventional surgery using a cold knife or with a CO₂ laser technique. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to score pain and swelling at different postoperative time points.

Results: Pain and swelling reported by the patients was greater with the conventional cold knife than with the CO₂ laser, statistically significant differences for pain and swelling were observed between the two techniques during the first three days after surgery. Followed by a gradual decrease over one week. In neither group was granuloma formation observed, and none of the patients showed malignant transformation during the period of follow-up.

Conclusions: The CO₂ laser causes only minimal pain and swelling, thus suggesting that it may be an alternative method to conventional surgery in treating patients with oral leukoplakia.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Oral leucoplakia of the gums (before the surgical treatment).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Oral leukoplakia of the gums (immediately after the surgical treatment with CO2 laser).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Box-plot with the time of follow-up of both study groups (group 1 = cold knife and group 2 = CO2 laser).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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