Complications from polypropylene mesh after surgery for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) may require tedious
surgical revision and removal of mesh materials with risk of damage to healthy adjacent tissue. This study explores
selective laser vaporization of polypropylene suture/mesh materials commonly used in SUI. A compact, 7 Watt, 647-nm,
red diode laser was operated with a radiant exposure of 81 J/cm2, pulse duration of 100 ms, and 1.0-mm-diameter laser
spot. The 647-nm wavelength was selected because its absorption by water, hemoglobin, and other major tissue
chromophores is low, while polypropylene absorption is high. Laser vaporization of ~200-μm-diameter polypropylene
suture/mesh strands, in contact with fresh urinary tissue samples, ex vivo, was performed. Non-contact temperature
mapping of the suture/mesh samples with a thermal camera was also conducted. Photoselective vaporization of
polypropylene suture and mesh using a single laser pulse was achieved with peak temperatures of 180 and 232 °C,
respectively. In control (safety) studies, direct laser irradiation of tissue alone resulted in only a 1 °C temperature
increase. Selective laser vaporization of polypropylene suture/mesh materials is feasible without significant thermal
damage to tissue. This technique may be useful for SUI procedures requiring surgical revision.
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