Cold Laser Therapy

Towne Center Blogger — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 17:24:31 +0000

At Towne Center Animal Hospital, we recently added a new machine: a cold laser. How can this be helpful for your pet? In this post, we’ll go over what exactly a cold laser is, how it works, and what conditions it can treat.

What is a cold laser?

Cold lasers are also known as “low level lasers,” “low-power lasers” and “soft lasers.” Unlike the surgical laser that Dr. Z uses during many procedures, cold lasers don’t heat up tissue. Instead, they use low-intensity, concentrated beams of light to stimulate the tissue for therapeutic purposes.

Cleared by the FDA for therapeutic use, cold laser therapy is safe, non-invasive, and has no negative side-effects. The only preparation needed for the procedure is protective eyewear for the operator and the patient.

How does a cold laser work?

Cold lasers send a beam of concentrated light into the tissue. The light can go very far into the tissue, but because it’s low intensity, it causes no heat or damage. Instead, the light is absorbed by the cells, fueling them. This can stimulate injured cells into repairing themselves.

The wavelength of the laser controls how deep it will go into the tissue, so the efficacy of the treatment is highly dependent on using the correct wavelength, which is between 600 to 980 nanometers, depending on how deep the light needs to go to reach the target tissue.

What conditions is it used for?

Cold lasers are often used as a complement to other treatments. They help improve conditions involving pain and inflammation, for example, arthritis, tendonitis, muscle strain, soft tissue injuries, back pain, dermatological issues, and wounds. Cold lasers have also been shown to speed up healing in injuries.

The effects of cold lasers include: increasing cell growth, increasing blood flow, stimulating nerve function, reducing inflammation, reducing pain, and accelerating the healing of wounds. Therefore, they can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions.

However, cold lasers are not a cure-all. Cold lasers cannot reduce or eliminate tissue growth from conditions such as bone spurs, ear canal mineralization, and deformities from arthritis.

Are cold lasers comfortable for pets?

In general, cold lasers provide relief quickly and promote relaxation in pets. No special preparations need to be made for using a cold laser and there is no particular after-care needed.

If you have more questions or would like to schedule treatment for your pet, please contact our Sanford veterinary office.

You can also learn more about cold laser therapy by watching the videos below.

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Surgical lasers: Less pain, faster recovery!

Towne Center Blogger — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 06:27:08 +0000

Surgical lasers have become an essential tool in the modern surgeon’s repertoire in both human and veterinary medicine. The mainstream adoption of the surgical laser has improved the efficacy of a variety of procedures through the replacement of scalpels and electrosurgical units, benefiting both patients and surgeons. This well-proven technology has been used by medical professionals since the 1960s and veterinarians worldwide are adopting it to improve the quality of care they can provide to their patients.

Laser stands for “Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.”

The surgical laser functions by generating an intense beam of light that can cut, seal, or ablate tissue depending on the power density and energy level chosen by the surgeon. The high level of control provided by the laser allows surgeons to make extremely precise tissue incisions that are well-suited to whatever procedure is being carried out. Among pet owners, the most widely recognized procedure that uses the surgical laser is feline laser declawing. Other procedures that use the surgical laser include cyst, tumor and wart removal and specialized internal procedures.

There are a wide variety of lasers used in the medical field, each with different applications. The primary type of laser used in soft tissue surgery for small animals is called a carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser). The CO2 laser emits a colorless, infrared beam of light at a wavelength of 10,600 microns. This wavelength is used because water, which is the main constituent of cells, absorbs this frequency very well. Some of the benefits of using the CO2 laser include:

Less Pain: CO2 lasers greatly reduce the pain that patients feel during and after surgery because the laser beam seals nerve endings as it cuts through tissue.
Less Bleeding: The CO2 laser beam cauterizes and seals small blood vessels as it works, which reduces bleeding. In many cases, the laser beam will completely stop bleeding, increasing the visibility of the tissue for the surgeon during the procedure.
Less Trauma: CO2 lasers eliminate the tearing and bruising of tissue associated with traditional surgical instruments, like scalpels, because they do not make direct contact with the tissue. The laser also seals lymphatic vessels, which reduces swelling.
Lower Chance of Infection: The CO2 laser beam incinerates microorganisms that could cause infection in the patient’s exposed tissue. This means that the CO2 laser is essentially an antibacterial agent, which improves the overall sterility of the surgical field.
High Precision: The precise technology of the CO2 laser gives surgeons a huge amount of control over the type of incisions they make in the patient’s tissue, compared to traditional instruments like the scalpel. This results in safer procedures.
Fast Recovery: Taking all the above factors into account, we get the most important result–a quicker recovery for the patient.

The use of laser technology in your pet’s next medical procedure will help your pet recover quicker and return home sooner. At Towne Center Animal Hospital, we are equipped with a state-of-the-art CO2 surgical laser (pictured above). Dr. Z uses the CO2 laser for a variety of procedures to improve patient comfort and ensure speedy recovery, because caring for your pet is our number one priority!

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