title: [Photoablation with the Er:YAG laser in ocular tissues].
abstract: Photoablation of ocular tissues is not restricted to the excimer laser. Alternative tools are erbium lasers. As there is maximum absorption in ocular tissue at about 3 microns, two types of erbium lasers are capable of photoablation. One is the Er:YAG laser working at a wavelength of 2.94 micron; the other is the Er:YSGG laser emitting light with a wavelength of 2.79 microns. Both lasers produce higher ablation rates than the excimer laser. In comparison to the excimer laser (thermal damage of less than 1 micron), there is more thermal damage in the remaining tissue (3 microns). The lower ablation rate of the Er:YSGG laser due to the greater distance of the wavelength from the absorption maximum can be compensated by a higher output energy and a higher repetition rate (25 Hz). Wound-healing studies in rabbit corneas show no significant differences between the excisions performed with the Er:YAG laser and 193 nm excimer laser.
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Augenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bende
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wollensak
mesh_terms: D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012590:Sclera / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
vernacular_title: Photoablation mit dem Er:YAG-Laser an okulären Geweben.