Surgical laser, not to be confused with therapeutic laser, is the use of highly concentrated, coherent laser light to remove tissue. This technology has rapidly advanced in recent years and offers an important alternative to traditional surgery with a scalpel.
There are many different kinds of lasers that have been used in both human and veterinary medicine. One of the most common is the CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser, which is useful for many different kinds of procedures for cats and dogs. The intense energy in the laser beam not only vaporizes the water surrounding target tissue, it quickly cuts away at the target tissue. Because the laser is very precise, it has little effect on nearby tissue. Furthermore, laser surgery tends to produce less bleeding, minimizes swelling, cuts surgery time, and usually causes less pain than traditional surgery.
Laser surgery is also very useful for many superficial issues such as removing warts. In fact, the list of procedures that are candidates for laser surgery is growing daily.