Precise control of tissue penetration can be provided by the CO2 laser at low power. At 1 W, superficial lesions of the tympanic membrane were successfully extirpated in ten patients. The beam produced immediate delamination and carbonization of the external layer, which usually included the lesion, with no apparent effect on the underlying tissue. This charred layer was easily removed mechanically in a bloodless field. No permanent perforations resulted. Extirpation of canal lesions was less effective.
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