Medical Applications of Lasers

Abstract

In this chapter, we will discuss principal applications of lasers in modern medicine. Due to the present boom in developing new lasers, especially diode lasers, and due to the limitations given by the dimensions of this book, not all disciplines and procedures can be taken into account. Our main goal is to focus on the most significant applications and to evoke a basic feeling for using certain techniques. All the examples are chosen to emphasize essential ideas and to assist the reader in grasping the best technical solutions. Potential difficulties and complications arising from either method will be addressed, as well. However, we should always keep in mind that any laser therapy needs to be planned as carefully as any other medical treatment. Every single step should be taken exclusively for the benefit of the patient. To be in line with the historic sequence, the first section is devoted to applications in ophthalmology. Most of the money made with lasers is still earned in this field. Dentistry was the second clinical discipline to which lasers were introduced. But, even though considerable research is being done today, there are much less dental applications than applications within the eye. However, photoactivated disinfection (PAD) and laser applications in im-plantology are very promising. A major effort of today's clinical laser research is focusing on various kinds of tumor treatments such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT). These play a significant role in other medical disciplines like gynecology, urology, and neurosurgery. Due to recent advancements in instrumentation for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), for example the development of miniature catheters and endoscopes, novel techniques are under present investigation in angioplas-ty and cardiology. Very interesting laser applications can be found in ortho-pedics and dermatology. And, last but not least, successful laser treatments have been reported in gastroenterology, otorhinolaryngology, and pulmology as discussed at the end of this chapter. So, we may conclude that-at the present time-laser medicine is a rapidly growing field of both research and application. This is not at all astonishing, since neither the development of laser systems nor the design of application units have yet come to an end. Moreover, laser medicine is not restricted to a few disciplines. Instead, it is expected that many more clinical applications will be developed in the near future.