Laser surgery is a type of surgery that cuts tissue using a laser instead of a scalpel.
Soft-tissue laser surgery is used in a variety of medical specialties, including general surgery, neurosurgery, ENT, dentistry, orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and veterinary surgery. The primary uses of lasers in soft-tissue surgery are to cut, ablate, vaporize, and coagulate tissue.
Different types of lasers are used depending on the application, including CO2, diode, and erbium lasers. Each type offers different benefits in terms of cutting efficiency and hemostasis.
Laser surgery is commonly used on the eye in procedures such as LASIK and photorefractive keratectomy, where an excimer laser reshapes the cornea.