Lasers have not only altered the field of medicine, but they have also revolutionized surgery by changing the way surgeons perform surgeries.
It isn’t easy to imagine when surgery didn’t involve lasers but scalpels. But that was once a reality. It wasn’t until 1961 that lasers found wide applications in medical procedures—and today, almost all surgical treatments rely on laser technology to some extent. That’s one of many examples demonstrating how lasers have changed and continue to change surgeries and medicine over time. Laser surgeries come with minor patient trauma, less pain afterward, and quicker healing time. Here’s how lasers changed the surgical industry and why you should consider laser surgery for any future surgeries you may need!
1. Has Made Effective Vascular Surgeries Possible
The first application of lasers in surgery was as a vascular surgery tool. Surgeons realized that lasers could seal off tiny blood vessels without damaging surrounding tissue, helping them perform surgeries with less pain and bleeding while speeding up recovery time. Because of these benefits, laser treatment now finds its use in over 95% of surgeries involving arteries, veins, and peripheral nerves. You can shop at The Laser Trader and find quality medical lasers for your medical lasers’ needs.
2. Skin Treatment
The use of lasers in dermatology has exploded in recent years. A 2009 study found that dermatology accounted for more than 50 percent of all cosmetic laser procedures that year. And, with good reason—the treatments can eliminate unwanted hair and tighten skin with minimal scarring or downtime. So what is it about lasers that have made them so valuable for dermatology?
3. Reduces Pain While Also Reducing Collateral Damage
Using lasers during surgeries helps reduce pain while also limiting collateral damage to surrounding tissues. Hence, patients who undergo surgery under laser guidance experience less pain than those who don’t receive such an intervention. It also means surgeons can be far more effective when working with lasers because they can focus on specific areas of a patient’s body without damaging nearby organs, nerves, or other vital structures.
For example, one type of laser can remove virtually every trace of melanin from skin cells without harming surrounding tissue. The technology is ideal for people whose faces have suffered certain types of scars.
4. Reducing Cases of Accidental Infection and Sterilizing Instruments Faster
By using lasers instead of scalpels for surgical procedures, doctors reduce cases of accidental infection and sterilize instruments at lower temperatures, meaning tools stay sterile. An added benefit is that lasers make disinfecting instruments faster and less expensive than traditional methods like autoclaving or steam cleaning.
5. Lasers Have Enabled Surgeons To Work More Quickly and Easily
For decades, lasers have been one of the most critical tools in every medical professional’s arsenal. Before they were available, surgeons were limited by what they could see with their own eyes. Because tissue was difficult to hold steady with human hands, many operations were necessarily slow and lengthy. Today, however, things are very different. With an intense laser at their disposal, a surgeon can quickly dissect tissues before moving to other parts of an operation.
Lasers allow surgeons to work more quickly and easily, too, since aiming a beam of light will always be quicker than holding and moving a scalpel. Similarly, lasers allow incisions to heal much faster since there’s no cutting involved: The laser vaporizes the offending material rather than carving it away layer-by-layer. The Laser Trader company will help you acquire the best-fit laser for your business
6. Limits Blood Loss and Improves Healing Times
Lasers limit blood loss during operations and improve healing times for blood loss. Since there’s less bleeding, wound surfaces can coagulate faster after an operation since there’s less water loss. Surgeons use lasers to cut and cauterize tissue in surgical procedures, particularly eye surgery. In many types of surgery, laser energy helps seal blood vessels before cutting, limiting blood loss and improving healing times.
Doctors can stop bleeding without causing additional damage to surrounding tissue by cauterizing blood vessels during a procedure. Hence, laser technology has helped make minimally invasive surgery more common among surgeons, unlike the traditional invasive methods.
7. More Effective Laser Dentistry Procedures
Today, lasers have even entered dentist’s offices. Laser dentistry procedures have become more and more popular in recent years. These procedures are faster, easier, and more precise than traditional methods for several reasons. First of all, lasers allow for greater precision during treatment, which is especially important during surgical procedures where accuracy is critical to ensure that damage doesn’t occur to other parts of your mouth or teeth.
Additionally, anesthesia may not be necessary when using lasers in dental procedures. Dental lasers help remove tooth decay and whiten teeth. Lasers are sterile, precise, and energy-efficient. They allow dentists to work faster and more accurately than ever before.
8. Has Made Cosmetic Surgery Possible and More Effective
The first significant application of lasers in surgery was for skin resurfacing. In 1980, procedures using CO2 and YAG lasers became mainstream. Today, both types of laser are still in application to correct burn scars and deep wrinkles and tattoos. Lasers are also helpful in minimally invasive cosmetic surgeries such as breast augmentation and liposuction since their development in 1992.
Another everyday use of lasers is hair removal or epilation. Laser hair removal works by emitting an intense light pulse that targets melanin within a hair follicle. Lasers When laser energy interacts with melanin, it heats up, causing damage at a cellular level and eventually destroying that cell’s ability to produce melanin resulting in permanent hair reduction.
Lasers have, therefore, simplified surgical procedures, which otherwise seemed impossible without much more significant risks due to size limitations from conventional approaches. Although there have been many advances in recent years, lasers will still play an essential role in medical advancement through minor and safer surgeries.
Conclusion
As we conclude, it’s clear that lasers have made significant contributions to surgical procedures over the years. The medical industry has changed a lot in recent decades and continues to evolve with new technology, but it’s hard to imagine surgery without lasers for all of these changes. Laser technology is making innovative strides in research, treatment, and diagnosis, and you can expect even more exciting discoveries from laser science experts. You can contact the Lased Trader for all your laser needs.