Laser Surgery/Laser Scalpel
By:Aasna Shah
A few applications of Lasers in Surgery:
- Cleaning clogged arteries.
-Cutting into tissue.
- Plastic surgery procedures.
- Removal of unwanted hair, wrinkles, birthmarks, and freckles.
Laser Eye Surgery:
First a precision knife cuts into a small part of the cornea, opening the corneal flap, and exposing it to the excimer laser. The beam of the excimer laser ( a device that generates pulses of UV light) is then used to carve the patients eyeglass prescription inside the cornea. After the prescription has been carved, the corneal flap is put back into place, and it reseals itself.
A Brief History of Laser Surgery and the use of Laser Scalpels:
1964: The CO2 laser was invented by Kumar Patel in the USA during this time.This type of laser is useful in a variety of applications, due to its high efficiency and high power.
1970: Articulated arms are improved during this time, making laser scalpels more efficient, and widely usable. Articulated arms were previously used in the USA and USSR for the delivery of laser beams to tissue.
Laser Scalpel vs. The Traditional Scalpel
- The light beam from a laser is consistent. so the cut is unable to vary in depth, which minimizes mistakes, and deep incisions.
- The hot beam from a surgical laser seals the open blood vessels as it moves. When using a traditional scalpel, blood vessels need to be sealed using traditional methods.
- The skin or tissue surrounding the area near the laser incision is unaffected by the beam. This is helpful when an area surrounded by healthy tissue or organs needs to be operated on.
- The process is less painful.
Disadvantages:
- The laser scalpel is more expensive than a traditional scalpel.
- It is inefficient during plastic surgery operations due to potential hair loss, and the inability to direct the direction of hair growth.
- The healing process is faster when a traditional scalpel is used.