Background: Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a noncontact electrosurgical technique which has been used in open surgery for about 20 years and in endoscopy for about 5 years.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to provide preliminary results on the effect of this method in skin surgery.
Methods: The effects of variations in gas flow, output power and coagulation times on the extent of the resulting skin coagulation zone were tested in a pig skin model. Furthermore, preliminary results were obtained from 48 patients.
Results: The depth of the coagulation zone, which depends on the output power of the high-frequency (HF) generator and the application time, was examined clinically and histologically in 150 different pig skin coagulations. The maximum depth of the coagulation zone was 4 mm. Coagulation zones below 4 mm can be maintained by controlling the output power of the HF generator and/or the duration of application. Variations of argon flow did not influence the depth of the coagulation zone significantly. In preliminary clinical tests, 48 patients with common warts, senile hemangiomas and actinic keratoses were treated with APC. In all cases, APC was highly effective and easy to perform. No severe problems or complications were observed. The skin lesions were destroyed with minimal or no scarring and without damaging the surrounding tissue.
Conclusion: In the present preliminary study, APC proved to be an effective treatment with well-controlled tissue destruction. Further clinical studies are required to evaluate the suitability and the indications of this method in the treatment of cutaneous lesions.