How are lasers used in surgery?
What will be an ideal response?
Laser stands for light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation. A laser beam can be narrowed to the size of a few cells. Lasers can be used in surgery to cut, to vaporize tumors, and to seal small blood vessels to prevent blood loss. They can also be used to slow the spread of tumors by closing lymph vessels, to reduce pain by closing nerve endings, to remove some brain and liver tumors, and for many kinds of skin surgery. Lasers can be used in minimally invasive back surgery as well, and they can be used after strokes to eliminate the clot. This takes a much shorter time than a clot-dissolving drug. Lasers can be used to dissolve plaque in arteries. A relatively new use for laser surgery is in cancer of the mouth and throat. An early diagnosis is essential if laser surgery is to be used; at early stages, laser surgery can cure these cancers and leave the patient's voice intact. Lasers are also used in gynecology; orthopedics; urology; ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology; and cardiovascular medicine.
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