The carbon dioxide laser in oculoplastic surgery and sliced bread.

Abstract

The Carbon Dioxide(CO 2 ) laser has been used by ophthalmologists for well over 10 years. We have performed CO 2 laser blepharoplasties on the oculoplastic service at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, Calif, since the mid 1980s, initially using underpowered continuous wave machines, including one with a cumbersome flashlight-sized handpiece designed for podiatry. The machines have advanced significantly since then, particularly in their ability to perform controlled ablation of the superficial layers of the skin (laser resurfacing); however, the technological advances have been outpaced by the striking advances in media interest in laser cosmetic surgery. Laser aesthetic surgery, which has always been a popular topic for both physicians and the lay public, has recently had a firestorm of publicity, including, for example, a notable television personality having his own laser resurfacing performed live on his talk show. Marketing of laser blepharoplasty by physicians is now mainstream as