Evaluation And Installation Of Surgical Laser Systems

The advent in the 1960s of the unique and exciting new form of energy called laser brought to medicine a marvelous tool that could accomplish new treatments of previously untreatable disorders as well as improved treat ment of mundane problems. This brilliant form of light energy is many times more powerful than the energy of the sun yet can be focused microscopically to spot sizes as small as 30 microns. Lasers can be directed into seemingly inaccessible areas by mirrors or fiberoptic cables or can be directly applied into sensitive areas such as the retina without damage to intervening structures. There has been a rapid proliferation in the use of lasers in all surgical specialties. Starting with bold ideas and experiments of "thought leaders" in each specialty, the application of lasers has evolved into commonplace usage. Beginning with the era when laser presentations and publications were an oddity, now nearly all specialty areas have whole sections of meetings or journals devoted exclusively to laser usage. Laser specialty societies within a specialty have developed and residency training programs routinely instruct trainees in laser techniques. Basic science and clinical experimentation has supported laser knowledge. Laser usage has also become international. Newer wavelengths and accessories have added to the armamentarium of laser usage. Despite the rapid growth in laser interest, no single source exists to instruct the many new laser users in proper, safe, and effective use of this new modality.

Surgical and therapeutic use of lasers began in human medicine in the early 1960s. Technology and equipment advanced rapidly. Over the last ten years veterinarians have been exploring the many potential advantages that various lasers provide their patients. Because laser light energy can be applied directly to target tissue or administered to distant lesions at a remote site through fiberoptic components, laser surgery has become an invaluable and growing veterinary surgical resource. Unlike many medical technologies, the size, reliability, and portability of lasers have improved so rapidly that they are now both economically and practically feasible for the general and specialty veterinarian. Routine laser use in veterinary medicine stands poised to gain large-scale general acceptance for everyday routine and specialty procedures. Written by experts in the field, Veterinary Laser Surgery: A Practical Guide strives to help general and specialty veterinary practitioners understand, implement and expand the use of laser energy in safe and rational ways for both surgical and therapeutic procedures to further improvement the veterinarians ability to enhance the patient’s quality of life. PRACTICAL PICTORIAL GUIDE / ATLAS feature that includes 31 case studies of the most common laser surgery procedures. Broad spectrum of specific laser information, including chapters covering basic laser physics through specific laser surgery techniques and pain management. Special sections on CO2 and Diode laser wavelengths. Provides veterinarians with skills and techniques to improve the comfort and quality of patients’ lives through appropriate laser use. User-friendly format makes referencing easy. A practical reference for specialty and general veterinarians.

Will full-color photographs throughout, this reference demonstrates and assesses various technologies and methods to effectively perform laser treatments for a variety of cutaneous disorders-emphasizing the selection of the appropriate laser for each clinical situation, practical treatment guidelines, and the avoidance of complications in the pract

In every area of human endeavor, technology has opened the door for new advancements to occur. Much of the progress in medicine over the last few years is due, in large part, to new technological tools made available to clinicians and researchers. Laser is an expanding technological discipline in medicine that will ultimately contribute to a broad and rapid expansion of both diagnostic and treatment procedures. Laser is to light what music is to noise. Those physicians who wish to be most successful in the application of this technology, to the benefit of their patient, will learn of the subtle interactions of light with tissue. No technology is good or bad in itself. It is only in the choices we make, in when and how to apply that technology, that it gains its moral value. The use of lasers in medicine has some very definite advantages in the surgical and medical treatment of a variety of disorders. At the same time we must all be careful to not perpetrate the myth of lasers in medicine. Vastly overstated claims of the value of 'laser surgery' have been held out to the general public, resulting in health care being sought on the basis of laser availability.

The invention of the laser was one of the towering achievements of the twentieth century. At the opening of the twenty-first century we are witnessing the burgeoning of the myriad technical innovations to which that invention has led. The Handbook of Laser Technology and Applications is a practical and long-lasting reference source for scientists a