Abstract

The application of lasers in neurosurgery is at present limited to a few special techniques like laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) or percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD). Some neurosurgeons use high-power cw lasers for tissue coagulation to avoid bleeding. One reason for the small spreading of laser applications is the missing control of heat transfer into healthy tissue. As heat diffusion takes place symmetrically in all directions, exact coagulation is restricted to tumours with simple geometries.

© 2000 Optical Society of America