Laser Surgery

Dr. Steingart has used the laser tool in surgery since the early 1990’s as the laser was being introduced into orthopedic surgery.  He relates that, “Laser has blossomed to the level of allowing the surgeon more opportunities to fix the damage in the joint or spinal disc with a minimal amount of collateral damage to the other parts of the body.”

Dr. Steingart has treated many patients with back pain with a minimally invasive Endoscopic Spine technique. “What makes the Laser Surgery in the spine different than most back surgery is with the use of a long endoscope, which allows me to visualize and even  feel the damaged disc and cartilage deep inside the body with a cut on the skin the size of my thumb nail. I am able to trim up, dematerialize the damaged goods, without hurting the blood supply to the disc or other ligaments surrounding the damage, since the laser tip is about one millimeter in diameter.”  Dr. Steingart continues: “ This is much different than a conventional disc surgery and even a microdisc surgery, since these two types of back surgeries require making an incision into the back and performing a laminectomy, which requires bone cuts and  ligament removal. The Laser Endoscopic Spine  Surgery slides in under all of those important structures, causing no  collateral damage and therefore a more anatomical approach as well as less bleeding and a quicker recovery in most cases.”

Dr. Steingart performs Laser Surgery in other joints, and believes that this also allows the body to heal itself quicker, with a speedier recovery for the patient.  He explains, “ The laser has many talents.  I find its precision most useful to be able to concisely cut out the damage without causing bleeding to the tissue. Bleeding obstructs the vision of a surgeon, and also increases the chance of scar tissue. In the shoulder laser  can dematerialize scar tissue, which bleeds with conventional arthroscopic surgery.  In ankles and wrists it is extremely useful for debridements, and with knees and hips the laser can remove offending torn structures. In the spine the laser allows me to perform trim and cauterize the damaged disc, and can eliminate bone spurs in any joints and spine if necessary.”

“The goal of surgery is to improve the outcome for the patient when other modalities such as medications, therapy, and rest have failed. There are risks to any procedure, that the surgery may not be effective.  The laser tool which I use in surgery gives me the  ability to improve outcomes and I feel gives me less chance of injury to a related structure.  It has a wide spectrum of having  the ability to  lightly shrink tissue  all the way up to precise tapering the  tissue  like trimming a diamond. I feel that laser surgery is still in its infancy, and as a blossoming flower, will seed to other areas of medicine.  Just watch and see.”