title: Techniques for endoscopic and non-endoscopic intracorporeal laser applications.
abstract: This article deals with various designs of CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers currently used in surgery. It is discussed how their wavelength and beampath characteristics can be utilized in either the contact or the non-contact method to achieve specific clinical aims. These may concern endoscopic procedures, e.g. palliative tumour destruction or haemangioma or cystic membrane coagulation, or non-endoscopic procedures, as exemplified by two case reports on treatment for a congenital vascular disorder and varicosis, respectively. As there is a certain overlap of laser and high-frequency applications, their respective advantages and drawbacks are compared in detail. The main safety concern in HF surgery is that of errant currents in the patient, whereas in laser applications the main hazard is to the operators' eyes. This hazard can be safely eliminated.
authors.affiliation: Steglitz University Hospital, Department of Laser Medicine, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Engel-Murke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shaltout
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Berlien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D019723:Endoscopes; D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D009354:Neodymium; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000601:surgery; D015019:Yttrium
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009354:Neodymium; D015019:Yttrium