CLINICAL COMPARISON BETWEEN SOFT TISSUE LESIONS REMOVAL USING SCALPEL VERSUS LOW-LEVEL LASER TECHNIQUE

Abstract

Objective: To compare between soft tissue lesions removal using scalpel incision versus Low-Level Laser Technique (LLLT) in the removal of oral soft tissue lesions. Patients and Methods: 12 patients (6 females and 6 males) aging 40-70 requiring soft tissue lesions removal. patients indicated for fibroma (2), epulis fissuratum (EF) (3), peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG) (3), pyogenic granuloma (PG) (2), and hemangioma (2). Patients were treated either with conventional surgery using a scalpel or with a LLLT. Pain scores were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS), postoperative healing, wound dehiscence. Patients were followed up in the following schedule, Day 1, 3, 7 then once per week for the first month then once monthly in the second month. Results: Group (I) had VAS values that were substantially higher than Group (II) (p 0.05) and within both two groups there was a significant reduction in VAS values with values measured after 7 days being significantly lower than day 1 values (p<0.05). Wound dehiscence was present only in two cases in group (I) and the difference between both groups was not statistically significant (p=0.121). Conclusions: LLLT was considered an effective method for removal of soft tissue lesions with effective hemostasis intra-operative and less postoperative complications such as pain and wound dehiscence. Oral soft tissue surgery can be performed using the diode laser as a modality.