Experimental surgery on dog's stomach and liver using CO 2 laser plastic hollow fibers: technical method.

Plastic hollow fibers for the transmission of CO 2 laser energy in curved paths were produced by plating the inner surface of plastic tubes with a metal film and dielectric film upon it. These fibers can transmit high power up to 40 W at the outlet, with high transmission yield even through several bendings. A three-dimensional simulator was built to simulate paths in the dog's body and the outlet power was measured. From the achieved data the expected transmitted power during real surgery was appreciated. The fibers were checked for their influence on live tissues of dogs. Incisions were made in the liver and ulcers in the dogs' stomachs were treated. The fibers were inserted into the stomach through the dogs' esophagus. Complete healing was observed after four weeks.