Cardiovascular Cavitation

Abstract

This article reviews the role of cavitation in the therapeuticapplications of ultrasound and laser surgery, and the cavitation effectsin mechanical heart valves. Whenever laser pulses are used to ablate ordisrupt tissue in a liquid environment, cavitation bubbles are producedwhich interact with the tissue. The interaction between cavitationbubbles and tissue during pulsed laser surgery may cause collateraldamage to sensitive tissue structures in the vicinity of the laserfocus, and it may also contribute in several ways to ablation andcutting. Cavitation is also one of the most exploited bioeffects ofultrasound for therapeutic advantage. In both cases, the violentimplosion of cavitation bubbles can lead to the generation of shockwaves, high-velocity liquid jets, free radical species, and strong shearforces that can damage the nearby tissue. Knowledge of these physicalmechanisms is therefore of vital importance and would provide aframework wherein novel and improved surgical techniques can bedeveloped. (C) 2009 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rightsreserved.