title: Efficiency of disc ablation with lasers of various wavelengths.
abstract: In testing the CO2 lasers in CW and pulse mode, the erbium:YAG, the Nd:YAG 1318 microns and 1064 microns, the argon, the holmium:YAG, and the excimer, we found the greatest efficiency in the CO2 CW and pulse mode, and the lowest efficiency in the argon. Data with the holmium:YAG were unreliable because of the early generation laser tested. The Nd:YAG was second only to the CO2 laser, and because the latter has no waveguide, we deemed the Nd:YAG the laser of choice for PLDD.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Choy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Altman
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Trokel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D017587:Diskectomy, Percutaneous / Q000379:methods*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000601:surgery*; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*