Laser: The Light That Heals.

The instant images that leap to one's mind at the mention of the word " Laser " are of star wars and light sabers. The word has connotation of power almost akin to magic. The term LASER is an acronym that stands for Light Amplification by Stimulation Emission of Radiation. Laser is not a device; it is a phenomenon that has been applied for specific uses in a wide variety of fields particularly in medicine. For all its variety of applications, the principle behind the laser is quite simple; when an atom or molecule absorbs energy, electrons or molecules move into higher orbits and fall back almost immediately into lower orbits, as the electron molecule falls back into the lower energy level, a spark of surplus energy bursts out, this surplus energy is the " photon " , the basic unit of light. The stimulated emission used in laser takes place when a photon stimulates another atom in its path to emit an identical photon thus creating waves of light that are in perfect phase with each other. In a laser chamber which contains active medium, these waves of light are reflected back and forth by mirrors increasing in power and brightness with each reflection. The result is a highly monochromatic, Merely understanding the principle of the laser does not explain how this wonderful occurrence is harnessed in so many medical fields. In King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, the laser is now used in different medical applications superseding some traditional methods of healing and diagnostics. specialty is laser radiation and photodynamic therapy says there are different types of lasers. There are for example the CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) laser, the Each kind of laser exhibit properties that make it suitable for specific medical applications the depending on its interaction with tissue. Dr. Watban says, " What is the laser tissue interaction? We look to the main