The carbon dioxide laser scalpel

The CO2-laser is currently used as a scalpel by a large number of medical surgeons, but in the field of veterinary surgery, relatively little has been published on the subject. A review of the origin of medical lasers, the basic physics of laser energy production and the characteristics of laser light was therefore considered necessary. This review includes a discussion on how the optical radiation generated by the different lasers is absorbed, the cutting power of the CO2-laser, and the effect on healing, tensile strength and haemostasis when used in the skin, linea alba and gastrointestinal tract.