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Lasers in Surgery

Lasers have many applications in medicine including surgery, dermatology, and tattoo removal. Different laser types emit different wavelengths of light that are absorbed by various tissues. This heating effect can be used to cut, destroy, or remove diseased tissue with little damage to surrounding healthy areas. Some advantages are reduced bleeding, pain, and scarring compared to conventional surgery. Risks include infection and injury to organs or tissues. Lasers are commonly used to treat conditions like port wine stains, lentigines, and remove tattoos.

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130 views22 pages

Lasers in Surgery

Lasers have many applications in medicine including surgery, dermatology, and tattoo removal. Different laser types emit different wavelengths of light that are absorbed by various tissues. This heating effect can be used to cut, destroy, or remove diseased tissue with little damage to surrounding healthy areas. Some advantages are reduced bleeding, pain, and scarring compared to conventional surgery. Risks include infection and injury to organs or tissues. Lasers are commonly used to treat conditions like port wine stains, lentigines, and remove tattoos.

Uploaded by

nuclearbrain11
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lasers Applications in

Medicine
Lasers

CW
CO2 wavelength - 10,600 nm

Argon - 488/514 nm
Lasers
Quasi CW
K-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) 532 nm
Cu vapour/bromide 510/578 nm
Ar-pumped tunable dye (APTD)
577/585 nm
Krypton 568 nm
Lasers
• Pulsed: high-energy laser light in ultrashort
duration
Pulsed dye laser (PDL) 585-595 nm
QS ruby 694 nm
QS alexandrite 755 nm
QS Nd:YAG 1064 nm
Erbium:YAG 2490 nm
CO2 (pulsed) 10,600 nm
Skin Optics
Only 4% to 7 % of light reflected by the
skin.

The depth of penetration is inversely


related to the wavelength.

Principal skin chromophore:-


hemoglobin, melanin, intracellular
water.
Skin-Chromophore Spectrum
Lasers in Surgery
• The laser light is focused to treat tissues
by heating the cells until they burst.
• There are a number of different laser
types. Each has a different use and color.
• The color, or the light beam, relates to the
type of surgery that is being performed
and the color of the tissue that is being
treated.
Laser Surgical Applications
• Cut or destroy tissue that is abnormal or
diseased without harming healthy, normal
tissue
• Shrink or destroy tumors and lesions
• Sealing of nerve endings to reduce pain
• Sealing of blood vessels for hemostasis
• Sealing of lymph vessels to minimize
swelling and decrease spread of tumor
cells
Description of the Process
• Lasers can be used to perform almost any
surgical procedure. Specially used to cut,
coagulate, vaporize, and remove tissue in
standard procedures, like mastectomy
(breast surgery).
• Lasers are also extremely useful in both
open and laparoscopic procedures.
Applications
• Lasers are used alone or in combination
with conventional surgical techniques in
procedures
- improve appearance
- relieve pain
- restore function
- save lives
Advantages of laser surgery
• Referred to as "bloodless surgery," laser
procedures usually involve less bleeding
than conventional surgery.

• The heat generated by the laser keeps the


surgical site free of germs and reduces the
risk of infection.
Advantages
• Due to a smaller incision is required, laser
procedures often take less time (and cost
less money) than traditional surgery.

• Sealing of blood vessels and nerves


reduces bleeding, swelling, scarring, pain,
and the length of the recovery period.
Disadvantages of Laser Surgery

• The person, including surgeon, guiding the


laser must be at least as thoroughly
trained, licensed and highly skilled.

• All operative areas be equipped with


oxygen, drugs and equipment required for
cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Disadvantages

• A qualified physician available to respond


to emergencies within five minutes.

• Emergency transportation to a hospital or


other acute care facility (ACF) be
available, if and when required.
Risks of Laser Surgery
• Risks
Like traditional surgery, laser surgery can
be complicated by:
- hemorrhage
- infection
- perforation (piercing) of an organ or
tissue.
- protection to patients eyes.
Lasers in Dermatology
• QS laser systems can selectively destroy
tattoo pigment without causing much
damage to the surrounding skin.

• The altered pigment is then removed from


the skin by scavenging white blood cells,
tissue macrophages.
Lasers in Dermatology
• The choice of laser depends on the colour,
depth and chemical nature of the tattoo
ink. Two to ten treatments are often
necessary.
• Black: QS ruby, alexandrite or Nd:YAG
• Blue and green*: QS ruby, alexandrite
• Yellow*, orange*, red: QS Nd:YAG or PDL
Applications

Benign lentigo treated twice with the Nd:YAG laser


Dermatological Applications

Facial port wine stain before and after pulsed dye laser therapy

Problem:
As with other laser treatments, pigmentary and textural
changes including scars may occur.
Tatoo Removal

By
QS Ruby laser
QS Alexandrite laser
QS Nd -YAG laser
Mechanism
• Selective vascular injury induced by this
laser with minimal damage to the overlying
epidermis.
• No thermal damage to the epidermis as
confirmed by video-microscopic analysis.
• Patients with ectasia (dilatation) of the
superficial capillary loops had better
outcome.
Laser – skin Interaction

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