Cutting Edge Veterinary Lasers

Peter Eeg, DVM, CVLF, DALE

Author of Veterinary Laser Surgery: A Practical Guide
Evaluation Summary of the Cutting Edge 30W CO2 Surgical Laser
By Peter H. Eeg DVM, CVLF, DALE

As a long time user and lecturer in the field of lasers in veterinary medicine and surgery of more than 10 years I have had a unique opportunity to evaluate and use a variety of laser types and platforms in my career. I utilize CO2 laser energy in my small animal practice in Poolesville Maryland daily and as my practice has grown I have determined the need to have two CO2 lasers available in my practice to allow myself and my associates full access to this important technology.

The lions' share of my CO2 laser experience has been with hollow wave technology. So as I considered the addition of a "second" CO2 laser to my practice I gave careful consideration to the CO2 equipment platforms currently available in the market that I have used and evaluated. My book, Veterinary Laser Surgery; A Practical Guide, which I co-authored with my long time friend and colleague Noel Berger DVM discusses in depth the difference and similarities in CO2 laser beam delivery between hollow wave and articulated arm technology. Since a growing number of veterinary CO2 laser users have been purchasing articulated arm delivery systems, I thought it prudent to consider this form of delivery platform in my practice to better be able to continue my consulting with other veterinarians with questions about technique, settings and surgical procedure considerations when using CO2 laser energy. I further thought it a good idea to evaluate the expected benefit from the improved collimated transverse electromagnetic mode (TEM00) which is generally accepted as the most commonly useful mode for CO2 laser discharge generated by an articulated arm delivery system. These factors coupled with a revolutionary new scanning delivery system, developed by Cutting Edge Veterinary Lasers, that allows for CO2 laser beam utilization in a full scanning, circular ring scan or 0.25mm focused beam in superpulse or non-superpulse mode that does not require change out of equipment to move from one mode to the next made this laser platform my natural next choice for my practice.

Having now logged over 150 cases with the Cutting Edge 30 watt CO2 laser system I can say without hesitation that I am very impressed by the consistency and repeatability of the laser beam geometry and power output. I have taken the liberty of comparing expected watt settings entered into the computer screen with actual watts output generated at the target tissue point using a power meter. Consistency has been very close to 100%. This tells me that the watts a laser user is requesting from the Cutting Edge 30 watt CO2 laser will be the watts delivered to the target tissue. This then allows for effective sharing of case management from one clinician to the next. I have great confidence that I will be able to have an "apples to apples" discussion about power density and target tissue management with clinicians using this system anywhere in the US or the world.

I was also very surprised and pleased with the advantage that not having to use a tip as presented during a number of surgical procedures. In my over ten years of intensive use of hollow wave guide tip systems I have found that the tips would routinely become partially obstructed by plume debris spraying back from the vaporization of targeted tissue typically during the creation of longer incisions, resection of larger/vascular masses and/or transection of large areas of tissue. This would require me to stop and clean the tip before continuing on with the incision, transection, and resection of dissection of tissues being surgically manipulated with the CO2 laser beam. While not a great amount of time was lost during these cleaning periods, some frustration always was present on my part. The Cutting Edge 30 watt CO2 focusing hand piece has eliminated this frustration, surgical time loss and allowed for greater consistency and speed during target tissue handling.

I was equally pleased and surprised by the advantage that I found when having a diode guide beam present during procedures. I have found that I am impressed by the preciseness and accuracy the diode aiming beam of the Cutting Edge 30 watt CO2 laser provides during both large scale and delicate procedures. When combining the individual single pulse and pulse wave settings with the effectiveness of the pin point accuracy of the diode aiming beam I have seen tremendous success in vaporizing, ablating and resecting very precise delicate areas of target tissue. Positive comments from the surgical techs and specialty surgeons that work with me in surgery related to being able to know where the beam is being directed as a consequence of being able to see the aiming beam location have been numerous and appreciated.

My practice also calls for me to utilize CO2 laser energy at several large animal veterinary facilities. The Cutting Edge 30 watt CO2 laser has proven 100% reliable after being subjected to being laid down, stored in my truck, driven down bumpy gravel roads, and then repositioned in the large animal operating room for use on a variety of large animal soft tissue surgical cases.

There has been zero down time in the last six months of use with the Cutting Edge 30 watt CO2 laser. It has been easy for the staff to understand and set up. It has been simple to alter settings and power output. For new users of this technology I can see a definite benefit in having a variety of pre-set parameters already cycled into the equipment memory for access by the user. The on site service and repair commitment of the Cutting Edge Company was a big bonus for my technical staff with respect to not having to box up, spend time securing transport and reconfiguring a loaner system.

Lastly, the technical staff has been verypleased with the ease of handling and quick set up of the unit. The Cutting Edge laser is UL listed and is 110 Volt wall outlet "plug and play". There is no greater danger of exposure to electrical discharge from the Cutting Edge CO2 laser than with any other medical equipment currently in usein our clinic. The main concern for me was how well the cooling system would dissipate heat build up from the CO2 laser photo production. The chassis of the Cutting Edge unit remains cool to the touch, even after extended periods of time for large incisions and resections. The passive cooling system in the RF excited waveguide laser that I also have will build up significant heat in the heat transfer fins and has over heated and shut down to protect its circuits on a number of occasions when in extended use. This has not happened with the Cutting Edge laser.

Earlier in this report I indicated that the Cutting Edge 30 watt CO2 surgical laser was purchased to be the "second" CO2 laser in my practice. The truth has become that this laser is now the primary CO2 laser in use at my practice for the variety of reasons that I have discussed previously. I am extremely pleased by all of the support and follow-up supplied and by the quality of the equipment itself.