Added: 02/06/2006 |
Laser Surgery -- Surgery, Treatment and RecoveryLaser surgery description, laser usage and types. From 1958, since their discovery, lasers and laser devices have become rather an effective industrial tool, although their uses in medicine were indeed revolutionary. Their peculiar feature is that it is possible to cut through flesh with no considerable bleeding. That's something so different from a surgeon's scalpel. As for a number of internal operations, doctors use laser energy to get access to areas in the body easier than they did it with the scalpel.
However, lasers usage for cosmetic purposes, i.e. for resurfacing of skin was discovered by accident. When treating the scar with the laser, doctors have noticed that the skin round the scar got better and most of the wrinkles disappeared. That was the new stage in the development of laser surgery. Resurfacing of skin has become extremely popular with people, since it's the chance for them to refresh their skin by acquiring a newer layer of skin not damaged by the sun. So, resurfacing is one of the main laser usage (types).
How does it work? Collagen is defined as a stringy protein, the skin connective tissue contains, and also it helps to have the skin texture. Aging, which is quite a natural process and factors like sun-damage, in addiction to smoking help destroy collagen layer as a result the originally smooth skin develops wrinkles. As a result, new collagen (also called skin tissue) appears after laser therapy.
Laser surgery treatment can make patients seem younger: 5-20 years. This effect may last for 8-10 years. However, after performed laser surgery patients should avoid bathing in the sun, destroying their collagen again.
As with most medical procedures patients might have complications and side effects. In case of laser surgery these are: redness, easy flushing, pigmentary changes (e.g. the skin turns darker as it was before). Other risks are more serious, and possibly permanent, including hypopigmentation, or lightening of the skin. Sometimes people may choose the wrong laser, or a surgeon may believe more is better, which can lead to significant burning.
Other laser surgery usages: laser skin peeling, laser birthmarks removal, laser hair transplants.
Eye laser surgery has become the most progressive and widely-used medicine discipline.
How does it work? Normally, light that passes through the cornea and afterwards the lens will inevitably come to a 100% perfect focus on the retina. Although vision seldom remains100% perfect during a lifetime. It's been noted that in some eyes, light tends to come to a focus in front of the retina. While in other eyes, the light is not focused strongly enough.
So, the retina might be perfectly healthy - it's the light that reaches it - that's what causes the problem. In eye laser surgery a surgeon uses a very exact and precise laser to reshape the cornea with the purpose of bringing the light to the focus. Using this method the following sight conditions can be treated: nearsightedness (the surgeon flattens the central surface of cornea), farsightedness (the surgeon flattens corneal peripheral or outer edge), astigmatism (the surgeon selectively reshapes a number of portions of the cornea).
Millions of people correct their sight with the help of laser surgery, which has progressed into a procedure that is absolutely safe and reliable.
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