The article discusses the use of laser spine surgery and the misconceptions surrounding its benefits. Although lasers have been used in pain management procedures, there is a lack of published research on their effectiveness in conventional spine surgery. Preclinical research does not support the purported advantages of lasers, such as reduced inflammation and degeneration. Clinical studies also do not show a notable advantage for laser surgery, and the available studies are heavily biased and have low enrollment. Additionally, laser-specific complications exist that patients should be informed about. Based on current research, the article concludes that lasers can introduce potential complications without any corresponding clinical benefits
Summarised by Mr Mo Akmal – Lead Spinal Surgeon
The London Spine Unit : best recognised spinal clinic on Harley Street UK
Published article
Laser spine surgery has been a focus of intense interest in the lay press and among patients. On the Internet, a host of purported benefits to laser surgery exists. Lasers have long been used in pain management procedures such as percutaneous diskectomy. However, a few published articles are available on lasers in conventional spine surgery. From our review of the literature, the purported advantages of lasers, such as reduced inflammation and degeneration, are not been supported by preclinical…
Laser Spine Surgery Expert. Best Spinal Surgeon UK
Abstract Laser spine surgery has been a focus of intense interest in the lay press and among patients. On the Internet, a host of purported benefits to laser surgery exists. Lasers have long been used in pain management procedures such as percutaneous diskectomy. However, a few published articles are available on lasers in conventional spine,
Abstract
Laser spine surgery has been a focus of intense interest in the lay press and among patients. On the Internet, a host of purported benefits to laser surgery exists. Lasers have long been used in pain management procedures such as percutaneous diskectomy. However, a few published articles are available on lasers in conventional spine surgery. From our review of the literature, the purported advantages of lasers, such as reduced inflammation and degeneration, are not been supported by preclinical research. The available clinical studies do not show a notable advantage for laser surgery. Moreover, the low enrollment, nonblinded, retrospective studies that are available are heavily subject to bias. The documented advantages of laser spine surgery described in the research studies are not consistent with the public’s impression of its purported benefits. Furthermore, laser-specific complications are present about which patients should be informed. On the basis of the current research, we conclude that lasers add distinct potential complications without any corresponding clinical benefit. Because of the public interest, we feel that this is an important topic for the general orthopaedic community.
The London Spine Unit : best recognised spinal clinic on Harley Street UK
Read the original publication:
Lasers in Spine Surgery
