Laser use in head and neck surgical procedures

Abstract OBJECTIVE. The aim of this paper is to review laser use in head and neck surgical procedures. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A search of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Medline, Google and Google Scholar search engines for the period between 1970 and 2024. Search terms related to “laser” or “head” or “neck” or “larynx” or “cancer” or “surgery” or “otology” or “Eustachian tuboplasty” or “acoustic neuroma” or “rhinophyma” or “skin rejuvenation” were identified and queried to select recent and relevant articles. RESULTS. Laser types fall into two broad categories: photoangiolytic lasers and cutting/ablating lasers. CO2 lasers have been the preferred choice for treating various conditions, including vocal cord keratosis, polyps, nodules, papillomas, carcinoma in situ, and T1 cancer, owing to their capacity to cause minimal damage to surrounding tissue. PDL and KTP demonstrate superior hemostatic effects compared to CO2 laser. The accessibility of PDL, KTP, and other office-based photoangiolytic lasers, significantly boosts their popularity due to the cost and time reductions associated with office-based procedures. Laser applications in otology encompass a diverse array of treatments, such as vascular lesions and exostoses in the external auditory canal, debulking inoperable tumors, managing the Eustachian tube dysfunction, performing myringotomy/tympanostomy for otitis media, and conducting stapedectomy/stapedotomy for otosclerosis, and cholesteatoma removal. Laser treatment can also be used for skin rejuvenation. CONCLUSION. Carbon dioxide lasers, Er:YAG lasers, photoangiolytic lasers like KTP and PDL may be used in head and neck surgical procedures and facial rejuvenation in appropriate cases.