Associate Animal Emergency and Specialty, Knoxville Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Disclosure(s):
Jacqueline Whittemore, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM): Karl Storz Veterinary Endoscopy: Storz sponsors my continuing education courses. (Ongoing)
Presentation Description / Summary: Although diode and holmium-YAG solid state lasers have been mainstays of veterinary interventional endoscopy for 15 years, thulium fiber lasers (TFL) are supplanting their use in people. Advantages include the ability to achieve powerful results with narrower laser fibers and a 5-fold increase in energy absorption at the target site due to better alignment of the emitted wavelength with peak light absorption by water. The net result is lower required pulse energy, increased efficiency, decreased tissue distortion, and decreased thermal damage. These factors have radically expanded TFL use for soft tissue interventions and stone cases for which lithotripsy is feasible. This talk will explore fiber laser technology, clinical applications, and tips for integration into veterinary practice.
Learning Objectives:
Compare and contrast design and beam characteristics of solid-state and fiber laser technologies.
Apply understanding of the four techniques for lithotripsy to select the best laser strategy for management of a clinical case.
List benefits of thulium fiber laser technology for differing soft tissue applications.
