Carbon dioxide lasers have the ability to cleanly, neatly, and easily cut through human tissue. The hot beam cauterizes (seals off) open blood vessels making the surgery bloodless. The ability of the laser to be used in the medical field was a great surprise. Today, lasers are used in dentistry, dermatology, surgery, endoscopy, angioplasty, hyperthermia of tumours, and photodynamic therapy.

     Lasers have the ability to remove the plaque from blocked arteries. In this procedure, called laser angioplasty, two optic fibers are entered into the body and manouvered to the blocked artery. One fiber is connected to a televison camera while the other carries the burst of light. At the blocked artery, this laser is fired, destorying the plaque. The debrea is sucked up out of the body by a hole in one of the fibers.

     Dermatologists can refer patients for cosmetic surgery using lasers to do many things, even remove birthmarks. Birthmarks are able to be removed by lasers because they absrb all the colors except red. A low peower green beam of light will therefore be absorbed by the birthmark and burn it away. Since the surrounding skin absorbs different colors it will not be harmed.

     The principat that cavities are softer than the enamel (hard portion of tooth) is used to teat cavities using lasers. To remove the cavities a laser that is strong enougth to destroy the cavity yet too weak to hurt the enamel is used. This procedure is painless and bloodless.

     Lasers are used to treat many things in the medical field including removing kidney stones, in chromosome manipulation, and to find a pulse.