By: John C. Godbold, Jr, DVM | Published: 2015 in Clinician’s Brief
Article Excerpt
The CO2 laser is the predominant surgical laser used for soft-tissue surgery because of its unique interaction with tissue. CO2 lasers emit an invisible beam of laser light (10,600 nm) that is highly absorbed by water. The absorbed energy is converted into heat, cells are ruptured, tissue is vaporized, and most of the energy delivered to the tissue is released in a plume of steam and cellular remnants. The highly focused beam of a CO2 surgical laser is a versatile and precise instrument that can efficiently vaporize soft tissue while simultaneously sealing small blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerve endings. Continue reading the article by viewing or downloading the PDF above…