What Types of Laser Surgery are there?

Since its first use in the 1960s, the laser has regularly been used during surgery because of its precision, swiftness and ability to leave minimal scarring.

Laser surgery is used for a number of different surgeries but largely focuses on three general areas.

• Isolating and destroying tumours: obviously this makes the laser the ideal instrument in fighting cancer and has saved many lives since its first use.
• Cutting away or destroying diseased, damaged or irregular tissue without damaging nearby healthy tissue: this process is often used for cosmetic or restorative surgery following burns and has also recently been used as a snoring treatment.
• Seal (cauterise) faulty blood vessels to stop bleeding: this method is often used for varicose veins treatment, which occurs when the valves in the veins that stop blood flowing backwards stop working efficiently.

Because of the versatile nature of the laser during surgery, it has come to be used in a number of different types of operations, both individually, with the laser being the only instrument used, or at the same time as other traditional surgical instruments.

Laser Eye Surgery

Eye surgery is one of the most popular and common uses for the laser and was one of the first operations to use the laser, due to the ease at which the surgeon could see and direct the path of the laser in the eye.

The surgery is remarkably simple and can be done in as little as 15 minutes and can often result in 20/20 vision.

Removal of Cancerous Tissue

Another common use of the laser is to remove potentially cancerous tissue and tumours from the body.

When used against cancer, lasers are commonly used at the early stages of the illness, as well as against cancers and tumours on the surface of the body or on the lining of internal organs.

As well as being directly used against cancer, lasers are often used to accompany other treatments, such as chemotherapy. Lasers are also used indirectly when helping to ease pain after surgery and limit the spread of the tumour.

As well as the number of uses noted here, laser surgery is used in many forms of surgery, either directly helping to cure the patient or assisting indirectly. The many roles laser can take part in during surgery make it a very useful tool and something scientists will be looking to capitalise on further in the future.



One Response to “What Types of Laser Surgery are there?”

1. Margaret Sproul (Mrs) says:

   September 7, 2011 at 11:27 pm

   Dear sir/madam

   I have been looking for help with my scar for some time,with out an invasive operation to scar my scar. I understand that laser can help to soften it..
   I was scalded at the age of 3 I am now 42 and found that it has tightend and shorter than my other arm as a result.the scar spreads from my upper right back right over my shoulder to the top of my chest and all the way down my right arm..I live in Ramsgate kent..after reading about the triplets that received fractional deep fx.. i was excited to think i possibly could have a better arm..please advise if this is an option with your laser treatments that i can be refered for..

   Kind Regards
   Margaret

   Reply