• 7/20/2007
  • Bhubaneswar, India
  • staff
  • NewIndPress.com

Laser technology has been used in surgeries since early seventies but innovations have made it an important tool today to treat superficial lesions in oral cancers.

As oral cancer is most common in Orissa due to the tobacco chewing habits, the ‘carbon dioxide laser’ is perhaps the right tool to manage the surgical requirements and a finding from 128 cases shows that it has got extremely good tumour control capabilities.

A study carried out over nearly a year at Panda Medical Centre (PMC), Telengapentha, has found that the use of carbon dioxide laser increases accuracy, improves accessibility and minimal collateral tissue damage through instantaneous tissue sealing, reduced pain, edema and minimal blood loss.

According to consultant ENT and head and neck surgeon Dr Sanjoy Panda of PMC, the most important benefit with this technique is sealing of lymphatic vessels as it demands paramount importance in cancer surgery.

“The small invisible vessels are sealed spontaneously by laser. This is necessary while dealing with tumours and preventing seeding of wounds,” he adds.

“There is recent data that compares excising tumours with knife to excision with laser, and finally, to excising with laser and vapourising the base. There is a marked decrease in the recurrence with the latter method,” he points out.

Carbon dioxide laser has an important role to play in Orissa as most of the cancer patients are tobacco chewers and the cost of therapy is less which makes it attractive for the needy, the cancer surgeon feels.

Laser advantages are many as it can be used from a distance and collateral thermal damage to adjacent tissues is less.

As it numbs nerve endings the post-operative pain is very less. The light beam generates a heat of 1,500 degree Celsius which, apart from destroying cells on its path, also sterilises the wound again leading to less infection and decreased chances of contamination.

As the pain and infections are less, hospital stay and medical expenses are drastically reduced. Also it has no effect on pacemakers or any electronic gadgets and useful to patients with bleeding disorders, Dr Panda reveals.

The laser can be used both as ‘freehand’ or through microscope. However, the safety measures are to be followed and eyes and adjacent areas are to be covered with wet cotton as the beam is absorbed by water, he adds.

Recently, Dr Panda presented his research findings at the 6th European Congress of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Vienna. Currently, PMC is the only centre in the State offering the ‘laser option’ for oral cancer surgery.