مهندسی پزشکی

the skin until it encounters chromophore which absorbs the laser beam. After absorption of the laser beam, heat is generated to induce coagulation, necrosis of the targeted tissue, this results in removal of unwanted tissue by laser surgery.

Laser resurfacing is a technique in which covalent bonds of a material are dissolved by a laser, a technique invented by aesthetic plastic surgeon Thomas L. Roberts, III using CO₂ lasers in the 1990s.^[9][10]

Lasers are also used for laser-assisted lipectomy.^[11]

Eye surgery

Various types of laser surgery are used to treat refractive error:

• LASIK, in which a knife is used to cut a flap in the cornea, and a laser is used to reshape the layers underneath, to treat refractive error
  • IntraLASIK, a variant in which the flap is also cut with a laser
• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK, LASEK), in which the cornea is reshaped without first cutting a flap
• Laser thermal keratoplasty, in which a ring of concentric burns is made in the cornea, which cause its surface to steepen, allowing better near vision

Lasers are also used to treat non-refractive conditions, such as:

• Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK), in which opacities and surface irregularities are removed from the cornea
• Laser coagulation, in which a laser is used to cauterize blood vessels in the eye, to treat various conditions
• Lasers can be used to repair tears in the retina.

Endovascular surgery

Laser endarterectomy is a technique in which an entire atheromatous plaque in the artery is excised. Laser recanalization of blocked arteries. other applications include laser assisted angioplasties and laser assisted vascular anastomosis.

Foot and ankle surgery

Lasers are used to treat several disorders in foot and ankle surgery. They are used to remove benign and malignant tumors,^[12] treat bunions,^[13] debride ulcers and burns, excise epidermal nevi, blue rubber bleb nevi, and keloids, and the removal of hypertrophic scars and tattoos.^[14]

A carbon dioxide laser (CO₂) is used in surgery to treat onychocryptosis (ingrown nails), onychauxis (club nails), onychogryposis (rams horn nail), and onychomycosis (fungus nail).^[15]

Gastro-intestinal tract