Health Topics for Sports Medicine

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

UI Family Care

Laser treatment

The word laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The light beam produced by most lasers is pencil-thin and maintains its size and direction over very large distances. The varied effects of lasers occur because of differences in light intensity and wave length.

In medicine, lasers are used as precise scalpels. They are useful in controlling bleeding, because their beam cauterizes or burns as it cuts. Lasers may be directed through fiberoptic channels that allow:

• fine control and accurate aim using computer assisted delivery and
• access to places that traditional surgical instruments cannot easily probe

Lasers are used to treat a variety of medical conditions that include:

• skin conditions such as mole, wart, birthmark, and tattoo removal
• eye disorders, such as retinal detachments and macular degeneration and
• the removal of cancerous and benign lesions

In some cases, lasers do not produce better results than using a scalpel. Some procedures are less costly, and just as safely performed using traditional surgical techniques. But, lasers are superior for other procedures. When wisely used, lasers can achieve clean and quick-healing surgical results.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File SPOR3343.rf2 VRS# 7541 Data Version 7.0 Copyright 1998, 2000 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.