Lasers Processing in Medicine and Surgery

Since the invention of the first pulsed ruby laser in 1960 by Maiman, extensive investigations have been conducted to examine and utilize the properties of lasers for applications in medicine and surgery. These investigations have been primarily motivated by the ability of the lasers to locally damage the biological tissue. The earliest clinical studies were focused on the pulsed laser-induced photocoagulation of the tissue in the treatment of eye diseases (Kapany et al. 1963; Campbell et al. 1963). These studies eventually led to the successful application of lasers in the routine ophthalmic procedures. With the improvements in the laser systems and the enhanced understanding of the laser–tissue interactions, the applications of lasers have been extended toward many medical specialties such ophthalmology, dermatology, dentistry, otolaryngology, angioplasty, etc. This chapter begins with a brief discussion of the laser–tissue interaction followed by a review of laser applications in medicine and surgery.