[Basic study of myocardial coagulation by intraoperative laser ablation: in the presence and absence of blood]

To investigate whether the efficacy of laser ablation therapy is affected by the color of the target organ, we irradiated 9 canine hearts through the epicardium with Nd-YAG laser (200 J, 400 J), and compared coagulated myocardial volume in the beating heart (reddish) with that in the stopped heart (whitish) infused with 0 degrees C saline (cardioplegic model) via a coronary artery. The coagulated myocardial volume of the beating heart was significantly larger than that of the arrested heart, indicating the YAG laser energy is absorbed by red myocardium to greater extent than it is by white myocardium. In conclusion, during intraoperative laser ablation, the presence or absence of blood in cardiac tissue is an important factor for safe irradiation.