Review Article
The carbon dioxide laser scalpel
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association | Vol 62, No 4 | a2083 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v62i4.2083
| © 2020 E. J. Durante
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 30 April 2020 | Published: 31 December 1991
Submitted: 30 April 2020 | Published: 31 December 1991
About the author(s)
E. J. Durante, Department of Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Medical University of Southern Africa, South AfricaFull Text:
PDF (203KB)Abstract
The CO₂-laser is currently used as a scalpel by a large number of medical surgeons, but in the field of veterinary surgery, relatively little has been published on the subject. A review of the origin of medical lasers, the basic physics of laser energy production and the characteristics of laser light was therefore considered necessary. This review includes a discussion on how the optical radiation generated by the different lasers is absorbed, the cutting power of the CO₂-laser, and the effect on healing, tensile strength and haemostasis when used in the skin, linea alba and gastrointestinal tract.
Keywords
CO2-laser; physics; absorption; veterinary surgery; healing; tensile strength; haemostasis
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