Aerothermotherapy with a Leister® hot air coagulator was tested in a simulated operation field followed by a prospective double-blind animal pilot study to examine hemostasis and tissue reactions. Two symmetrical incisions were made on the back of 5 rabbits. One of the two wounds was randomised to aerothermotherapy. The temperature rise in the wound was registered by thermistors. No wound complications were observed. Five days postoperatively all wounds were excised for histological examination. A superficial muscular cell necrosis was observed in 3 of the 5 hot-air-coagulated back wounds. Liver resection was performed in 2 of the rabbits. The bleeding from the resection surface was stopped effectively by aerothermotherapy. Combination of the hot air temperature, the distance to the tissue and the application time was crucial for avoiding burns. If these factors are observed, the hot air coagulator may be used as a supplement to conventional methods of hemostasis