Laser surgery can be substituted for any traditional surgery if necessary. The benefits of laser surgery are listed as less blood loss, quicker post-operative healing and the possibility of limiting the scope of the surgery. In fact, an article in the Encyclopedia of Surgery reports that most surgeons use some type of laser during surgery already, including for procedures that require burning tissue or cauterizing blood vessels. While laser surgery is relatively safe, there are risks associated with it, in addition to the risks presented by any surgery.
Inexperienced Operator
It's extremely important that the person performing laser surgery be trained on the instruments he is using. Both physicians and non-physicians use lasers for procedures, so the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery recommends that non-physicians in particular need to be trained, licensed and insured and treat their operating rooms as if they were in a hospital. If you are having an out-patient procedure done, make sure that a physician is on call if a problem should arise.
Burns
Lasers work by shining a beam of light at tissue heating it until the tissue ruptures. The laser can rupture healthy tissue too and must be used with care and precision or burning of healthy tissue can occur. Burns can be so extensive as to cause irreparable damage and scarring and, in rare cases, can even cause internal organs to explode if used improperly, according to the "Encyclopedia of Surgery." Additionally the laser can start fires on clothing, hair and objects in the operating theater. The United States Food and Drug Administration requires that patients and operating room personnel wear protective eye wear during laser surgery, especially if a CO2 laser is in use.
Scarring
Scarring is an additional risk for laser surgery, because it is often used in cosmetic procedures on the face, such as resurfacing. Physician Rox Anderson, M.D., director of the Laser Center at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, reports that 2 percent of patients suffer scars after laser procedures most often from poor post-operative care or a laser operator who damaged too much tissue under the skin, destroying the skin's ability to repair itself. Pigmentation scars can also be problematic, especially in people of color, so make sure your practitioner is experienced in procedures on people with your skin tone.
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