Optimized Evaluation of a Pulsed 2.09μm Holmium: YAG Laser Impact on the Rat Brain and 3 D-Histomorphometry of the Collateral Damage

Abstract Since more than 20 years CO 2 and Nd:YAG lasers are established in the microsurgery of the nervous system. CO 2 lasers can be used handheld, but may be focused on the target area by mirror optics and sideports of the operating microscope's micromanipulator. Nd:YAG lasers have the disadvantage of deep penetration into the brain and provocation of a large collateral damage. The need is for a fibre conducted solid system for surgery in delicate areas as for brain stem surgery. Fibre conduction of near infrared lasers allows better exposure of the target area compared to hollow wave guides or mirror equipment. Fibres can be tapered and modified according to the purpose. The holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser has acquired interest by introducing the system into microsurgery of parenchymal tissue. They have not been proven yet sufficiently for neurosurgical tasks. The effort to minimalize the collateral tissue damage has to be maximalized in the surgery of nervous tissue and functional low redundant brain stem or spinal cord tissue. Volumetric data may be more precise in comparison to depth and width data of the laser lesion even when the different levels of the tissue interaction have to be analyzed for estimation of the real side effects in nervous tissue. We have used 50-800 mJ delivered Ho:YAG single pulses in cortical areas of Sprague-Dawley rats and investigated the different lesion zones by Volumetric data. The functional lesion zone was detected and measured by immunohistological staining of the heat shock protein HSP 72. For further reduction of the focus area, we have used tapered 400 to 200μm fibres.