Today, most ophthalmologists use at least one laser every day in their practice.
Lasers are widely applied in both diagnostic and therapeutic devices. While few of us are laser physicists, it is helpful to understand a few principles regarding the therapeutic application of lasers.
The word laser is shorthand for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Any wavelength of light can be amplified, whether in the ultraviolet, visible, infrared or other spectrum. Lasers in ophthalmology modify tissue primarily in three ways: coagulation, thermomechanical effects or photoablation.