The holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser is perhaps the most versatile surgical laser currently in the armamentarium of today's laser surgeon. The Ho:YAG's unique ability to vaporize, ablate and coagulate both soft tissues and extremely hard, dense tissues have made it the laser of choice for orthopaedic surgeons, urological surgeons, ENT surgeons, gynecological surgeons, and neurosurgeons worldwide.
Complete control of thermal penetration, hemostasis in virtually any tissue, tiny delivery probes allowing access to even the tightest spaces and a wide variety of tissues effects are just a few of the many benefits the HO:YAG laser can bring to your patients and practice.
The Ho:YAG laser is rapidly becoming the standard of
care among practicing urologists for the treatment of renal calculi approached in
a retrograde fashion, ureteral stones, bladder stones, superficial bladder carcinoma,
strictures and BPH requiring surgical intervention. Click HoLRP
(Holmium Laser Resection of the Prostate or HoLEP
( Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate) to link to the authors' web page
for more detailed information.
Lithotripsy -
The efficacy
of the Ho:YAG laser as a lithotripter is well documented in current literature. In
many facilities the holmium is now the standard of care for the treatment of large
bladder stones, ureteral stones too large to basket and renal stones the urologist
feels would not necessarily need to be approached percutaneously. The laser has the
unique ability to vaporize, or reduce to a fine grit, virtually any stone - regardless
of its composition. This allows the surgeon to expect a stone free patient every
case, providing the stone can be visualized.
Ho:YAG lithotripsy results in
creating the smallest stone fragments
of any lithotripsy device currently available to the practicing urologist. Fragments
so small, in fact, that many patients are not stented following their surgical procedure.
The
tiny diameter of the holmium delivery fibers (200 - 1000microns) permit adequate
irrigation through even the smallest flexible scope. Combine this small size with
the outstanding flexibility of the probes and access and visibility can be maintained
at all times.
Soft Tissue Applications -
The hemostasis and shallow depth
of penetration afforded by the 2100 nanometer light of the holmium laser makes it
the ideal tool for resecting the extremely vascular tissues encountered by the urologic
or orthopedic surgeon.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE USE OF LASERS
IN OTHER SURGICAL SPECIALTIES PLEASE ***CLICK
HERE***