Chronicle of laser usage in equine surgery

Abstract

Laser is the acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation; the first laser beam was generated in 1960 and initially used for medical application in 1963. Today's modern surgical laser units produce an intensely focused light beam of uniform wavelength that interacts with a variety of biological cell types to vaporize, cut, coagulate, or shrink tissues. The resulting effect depends on the optical properties of the tissue and the wavelength, power output, spot size, and duration of laser beam application. Different lasers are suited to specific surgical tasks relative to their beam wavelength, power output, mode of operation (continuous, pulsed or superpulsed), and application (contact or noncontact) and instrumentation. The documented advantages of laser surgery over conventional surgical procedures are improved hemostasis, the ability to ablate or vaporize tissue, endoscopic access to body cavities, improved postoperative comfort, and shorter hospitalization and recovery times. By the mid-1980s, laser use in equine surgery was reported; the carbon dioxide and neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet were the first models integrated into practice. The primary application of laser technology in equine surgery was for the correction of various upper-respiratory tract abnormalities and still remains the most prevalent use through endoscopy. Today, surgical lasers are used for the treatment of problems in the urinary, reproductive, and musculoskeletal systems, in addition to the skin and the eye. When we combine advances in laser technology and the practice of equine surgery, the result is clinicians better equipped to treat and manage the more difficult cases.