Question

Discuss the principle advantages of lasers in neurosurgery. What laser type is most suitable for removing brain tumors? Which laser-tissue interaction mechanism is being utilized? What kind of side effects can occur?

Answer 1

• Neurosurgery is the medical speciality concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and cerebrovascular system.
• Laser neurosurgery has been widely used for the treatment of brain tumors.
• The use of laser has particularly beneficial for very narrow and deep approaches that are oftentimes required to acces tumors in these locations.
• The ability to incise delicate neural tissue with minimal spread of thermal destruction to adjacent functioning tissue makes laser the the ideal instrument when tumors deep under the surface are encountered in the brain or spinal cord
• Stereotactic Laser Ablation can be considered as the most suitable for removing brain tumors.
• Laserl tissue interaction- the laser light energy is transformed through absorption, into the heat inside the tissue leading to elevated tissue temperatures that, in turn, can result in tissue ablation and coagulation.
• Possible side effects- Abalasive laser resurfacing can cause redness, swelling and itching, acne, infection, changes in skin color, scarring, turning of the eyelid