Clinical Procedures in Laser Skin Rejuvenation PDF

INTRODUCTION

Surgical lasers have opened a new vista for aesthetic surgery. Laser skin resurfacing is commonplace, as is laser treatment for vascular lesions, varicosities, and laser hair removal. Laser blepharoplasty and facelifts, as well as the employment of the laser in endoscopic facial surgery, are becoming commonplace.With the increasing varieties of lasers and the numerous wavelengths available, laser safety has become a more complex issue.1 It is incumbent upon the surgeon to consider the safety of not only his or her patient, but also the entire operating room staff.

With the increasing trend for more and more procedures to be performed in an ambulatory surgical setting, we find that medical lasers are commonly being employed in small clinics or office surgical settings. Not only physicians, but podiatrists, dentists, and others use lasers on a daily basis in their office clinical practices.The requirements and principles for the safe use of lasers are no less stringent in this setting than when the lasers are employed in a large metropolitan hospital. Laser safety standards apply equally in all of these settings.

When a physician utilizes a medical laser, they have a medical, legal, and ethical responsibility to be aware of the requirements for the safe use of lasers in healthcare facilities.This means that the physician should be trained in laser safety and be knowledgeable as to local and federal regulations, as well as the advisory standards and professional recommendations for the use of lasers in their applicable speciality.