What is a laser surgery? A laser procedure is anything using a concentrated beam of light to transfer energy to tissues on the skin and change the tissue to the desired result. It was during the 1950's that...
It was during the 1950's that the first laser was born. Laser actually means, Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The technology has since been applied in many different aspect of life. From pointing a TV remote to playing a CD, lasers are everywhere. Lasers have also found their way into the medical field!
"A laser itself is basically a concentrated energy beam of light that can transfer energy into different tissues that treat the skin. Regular light, for example office light, has many different wavelengths and a laser takes one of those wavelengths and concentrates and targets it into a tissue. This is a principle that we use called selective photothermolysis and all that means is that each wavelengths of light target a particular area of the skin or of the tissue that we are treating," said Charles M. Boyd M.D., M.B.A., and F.A.C.S. He has been a plastic surgeon for more than 13 years.
"There are many different types of laser procedures that we do. With lasers we can do things like remove lines and wrinkles of the face or we can use it to remove birthmarks, tattoos and hair. There are many different things that we can do with the laser, all of them have different techniques and sometimes different lasers, but the principle is generally the same: Targeting something specifically within the skin to achieve the desired result," Boyd said.
When the laser is pointed at the skin the energy is absorbed. By changing the wavelengths and concentrates you will get different effects on the tissue. Different kinds of tissue have different absorption characteristics depending on its specific make-up. Lasers focus on causing the water, hemoglobin, melanin or protein in the skin to absorb the emitted energy obtaining the desired effect.
One of the most commonly used lasers is the C02 laser. This laser can be used for several different purposes depending on how it is set. If the laser beam is highly focused then it can be used to cut through skin. When the C02 laser is adjusted it can also be used to do resurfacing, which is burning away the top layer of skin that reveals a new layer that will be smoother, have less wrinkles, and more even pigmentation. The C02 laser can even be used to cut away cancerous spots on the skin, remove warts, and perform eyelids surgeries.
There many different types of laser that are used to perform various procedures such as hair removal, blood vessel disorders, tattoo removal to list a few.
Laser surgery has many advantages over some traditional means of surgery. Lasers are advantageous because the beam is so precise that you can achieve cleaner cuts that can be had with a scalpel. The incisions made with lasers often bleed less or will not bleed at all. The sharp precision of the laser usually provide smaller scars. Since there is less handling of the skin and fewer tools used it is less likely to get infection.
Lasers have made a huge change in our world. They are used in so many aspects of out society and especially in the medical field.
