In the last few decades, lasers and laser technology has completely transformed the way many complex medical procedures are performed. When they are used properly, lasers provide numerous benefits for a variety of medical situations.

Whether you’re looking to have hair removed (something that was completed more than a million times by lasers in 2017), correct your vision or need surgery of some kind, cosmetic lasers, ophthalmic lasers and other types of lasers can do some amazing things.

How do lasers work? Laser surgery uses non-ionizing radiation, which means that patients aren’t exposed to harmful radiation. Lasers can also help surgeons accomplish complex medical tasks during surgery such as reducing chances of wound infection, reducing blood loss during surgery, helping wounds to heal better and faster and also to decrease a patient’s discomfort after he or she has had surgery.

If you’re a cosmetic surgeon or an ophthalmologist, getting aesthetic lasers or ophthalmic lasers is a good way to make that happen. A reputable medical supply company or medical laser suppliers can get you the right tools to expand the services you can offer.

If you’re an ophthalmologist, you may be wondering, how can ophthalmic lasers help my practice? Actually they can help in a lot of ways.

For one thing, ophthalmic lasers can treat people with a wide range of eye problems and they can do so without a risk of infecting people in the midst of a procedure. These days, many laser eye procedures such as Lasik are pain-free for patients and are performed on an outpatient basis. Bottom line: they’re safe to use, highly accurate and don’t cost much, so for many ophthalmologists, ophthalmic lasers are a no-brainer.

But when it comes to any kind of medical lasers, one must take care with them. Before any type of procedure is done, it’s best to review and observe the safe precautions which are outlined in the equipment manual. If the device or devices aren’t working properly, don’t use them. The last thing you want is an accident in the middle of a procedure.

With ophthalmic lasers or any kind of laser, they should be used by someone who knows how to use them. Again, you want a steady and reliable hand behind the wheel so to speak. Make sure you let other employees of your practice know when laser procedures are being performed and be sure to remove any sort of reflectors in the surgery area that might reflect beams into a patient’s eyes.

On that note, if you’re the one performing or supervising the surgery, make sure you keep yourself safe as well. You should be wearing proper safety glasses, which are specifically designed to filter the power of the laser you’re using as well as the specific wavelengths associated with the laser.

There are benefits to both owning and renting medical lasers and ultimately you want to make the best choice for what works for your practice. If you’re going to be performing different eye procedures on a regular basis, it might be worth it to spend the money and get yourself a machine that you and other employees can learn how to use. Up front, the cost may be a little steep, but it should pay off over time.

But if it’s something that’s only going to be offered a few times a month, then renting from medical laser supplies might be the way to go. Be sure to rent from a reputable company to ensure you get a machine that functions correctly. Again you don’t want any mishaps and it might be more cost-effective for your practice rather than selling out money to own a complex machine you won’t use that often.