Lasers in the O.R.: A New Era of Surgical Precision

How Long Have Doctors Been Using Lasers?

As medical therapy, lasers have been around since the 1960's. But only recently have they become a generally accepted and widely used form of treatment for a variety of chronic problems.

What is a Laser?

Lasers are the brightest known source of light. They come from an instrument that converts electrical energy into light and can have a wide range of uses in medicine and surgery. One of the most important reasons why doctors use lasers is that they produce an extremely intense beam that can be focused on a very small spot and delivered in brief, precise surges. Lasers can be used as a spotlight to illuminate an area on the body, or they can also be used in place of a scalpel because they are powerful enough to cut, coagulate or vaporize tissue.

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