How Lasers Are Used in Modern Medicine

As medicine and technology both continue to advance simultaneously, new surgical methods are being created on a regular basis. In the early 90s the pioneering technique of correcting visual impairments by operating on the eye using a laser was developed which, to this day, has had an impact on thousands if not millions of patients.

Laser eye surgery works by using computer-controlled pulses of cool laser light which are applied to re-shape the cornea. At present there are several types of laser which can be used by medical professionals to operate with, from the carbon dioxide laser and the YAG laser, to the pulsed dye laser, which is commonly used on skin legions or complaints.

Each laser has its own unique application depending on the surgery, from closing blood vessels to reduce blood loss and removing warts and tattoos, to hair removal and even for operating on tumours.

Because of the precision required to operate using lasers, most operations require the patient to receive anesthetic drops but, thankfully, laser surgery tends to have a very quick recovery rate thanks to the minimal amount of work required.

Currently, lasers are used in hospitals and clinics as alternatives to the traditional scalpel, where existing surgeries can be carried out far more quickly and accurately using lasers.

Another reason that doctors choose to use lasers over more traditional methods is the relatively reduced risk of infection that comes with them as not only is the equipment always going to be spotless, but a laser can often be used to cauterise wounds in order to stop bleeding immediately. Likewise, scarring is usually reduced using laser surgery too, as the accuracy of the beam lets surgeons target only the unhealthy tissue, leaving the healthy tissue intact.

Perhaps the most advertised use of lasers by medical professionals is in laser eye surgery. Though not available on the National Health Service in the UK, many clinics and private hospitals offer this vision correcting procedure which can entirely eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses in patients.

Laser eye surgery works by carrying out refractive surgery on corneal tissue, which usually fixes either long or short sightedness by changing the shape of the cornea.

The most common method of uk.opticalexpress.com eye laser surgery is LASIK surgery, which uses the approach of first folding over a small section of the cornea, before operating on the tissue underneath. The treatment will always begin with numbing of the eye, so there is no pain felt at all, and then light is pulsed into the eye through the laser. When the light hits the corneal tissue, it removes any unwanted tissue.

Surprisingly non-intrusive and quick, a session of laser eye surgery can be completed in as little as 10 minutes; sometimes with immediate results too.

Learn more about uk.opticalexpress.com eye laser surgery. Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.