Source: www.wistv.com
Author: Bryce Mursc

A patient with a hard to reach tumor inside their throat can be a challenging problem for a surgeon. A new laser technology makes removing the tumors easier for everyone.

Donald Mucker had a sore throat that wouldn’t quit.

“After a couple bouts with antibiotics, it was not getting any better. I could feel something,” he explained.

He had a cancerous tumor growing at the base of his tongue.

Sue Yenchek had a sore throat and acid indigestion before her tongue tumor was discovered.

“It was like every swallow hurt,” she said. “Everything I ate hurt. It woke me up in the middle of the night.”

Traditionally, doctors would remove the hard to reach tumors with surgery through the patient’s neck or jaw.

“It was very, very challenging for those folks,” says Doctor Guy Petruzzelli, who removed the tumors through the mouth, with a flexible fiber, that delivers CO2 or carbon dioxide laser energy. “It vaporizes and cuts tissue based on how close or far away the laser is from the tissue surface.”

The thin flexible fiber makes it easier to reach into narrow delicate spaces.

“It actually allows us to bend the laser and actually work around corners and use the laser in a more precise way.”

The patient spends one night in the hospital and feels better fast.

“I could swallow. I felt very little discomfort. It was amazing.”

“It was just minimal pain. I took some Vicodin for a day or two, you know, and that was it. It was unbelievable.”

Both are hoping for a cancer free future

The new CO2 laser called the Omni Guide Beampath is not yet widely available.

Some doctors who have used it say it enables them to do surgeries now that were not possible with existing technologies.