What is a laser?
A laser is a device that generates an intense beam of coherent light that can cut, seal or vaporize tissue.Lasers have been successfully used on humans for over 30 years. This knowledge gained in human medicine is beneficial for your pets. Your pet’s health is as important to us as it is to you. Hundreds of veterinarians are offering laser surgery as an exciting new option for safer, more comfortable treatment. In many procedures, the laser can replace the scalpel and provide a better alternative to traditional surgery. Why laser surgery? Less Pain The laser seals nerve endings as it “cuts.” As a result, your pet will experience less pain and be more comfortable post operatively. Less Bleeding The Laser seals small blood vessels during surgery. This speeds many procedures, reducing the time your pet needs to be under anesthesia, which further reduces possible complications.
A laser is, in fact, a source of light that bears parallel rays, is both monochromatic (a single color) and coherent (all of the light waves are in phase). Just to compare, a usual light bulb has light rays scattering into various directions, i.e. has got no parallel rays and no coherence, i.e. light waves are not in phase. “LASER” is an acronymm standing for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. However, this definition might be somewhat confusing since most lasers are actually oscillators (generators of sources of light) and not amplifiers (devices for increasing the strength of a signal), though such lasers are also possible and used for some applications.
Laser stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. One basic type of laser consists of a sealed tube, containing a pair of mirrors, and a laser medium that is excited by some form of energy to produce visible light, or invisible ultraviolet or infrared radiation. There are many different types of lasers and each uses a different type of laser medium. Common laser media include gases such as argon or a helium and neon mixture, solid crystals such as ruby, and liquid dyes or chemicals. When energy is applied to the laser medium, it becomes excited and releases energy as particles of light (photons). A pair of mirrors at either end of the sealed tube either reflects or transmits the light (see illustration below) in the form of a concentrated stream called a laser beam. Each laser medium produces a beam of a unique wavelength and color.
Laser is actually an abbreviation for Light Amplification of Stimulated Emission of Radiation. It refers to a series of specialized optical devices that take a specific wavelength of light and amplify it in such a way that the beam that is produced is extremely concentrated. Lasers emit a narrow, finely focused beam of light energy. That is why even though a very lower energy laser beam, such one one-thousandth of a watt, can be far more powerful than an ordinary sixty watt light bulb. Lasers can be used to treat a variety of medical conditions within the eye. Because the eye is optically clear, laser beams can pass into the eye without being absorbed and can therefore be directed specifically at a target tissue to be treated. Depending upon the source or wavelength of light, the color and intensity of each individual laser is correspondingly created. Each individual laser wavelength has a particular use in ophthalmic surgery. Some lasers focus their energy to burn or coagulate and sea
