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Peter F. Kelly, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S.  
  
Diplomate, American Board of Podiatric Surgery  
Fellow, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons  


Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, Supplement 5, 1993, Abstracts  
 
American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, 
Thirteenth Annual Meeting 
 
  
No. 296, Pg. 61  
  
KTP LASER APPLICATION TO CALCANEAL SPUR RESECTION   
AND PLANTAR FASCIECTOMY  
   
The KTP (532 nm.) laser and Nd:YAG (1,064 nm.) contact-tip laser   
applications to surgery of the calcaneus are compared.  Our practice has   
conventionally applied the Nd:YAG contact-tip to calcaneal spur   
resections and plantar fasciectomy.	With this method photohydrolysis of   
the thick pericalcaneal adipose tissue results in extensive water   
production disseminating the cutting ability of the 1064 nm. Nd:YAG   
frequency.  Intraoperative small vessel bleeding of these tissues during   
the surgical approach also interferes with visualization when small   
(endoscopic) incisions are applied.   
   
The specific 532 nm. wave length of the KTP Laser used with a 600   
micron fiber in contact mode allows for more specific ablative cutting of   
this tissue, significantly decreasing thermal hydrolysis and specific tissue   
penetration providing improved hemostasis.  This allows for increased   
visualization and expedites dissection while conveniently lower power   
density settings may be used for the same procedure.   
   
A significant number of cases were accumulated before observations   
derived comparative parameters in this retrospective study.  Case   
number for the Nd:YAG laser n=52, KTP laser n=20.   
   
Although the practical expectations of the 532 nm. KTP laser were   
unknown at the onset, this was applied because of the predictable tissue   
interaction theory of its wavelength.  The statistically significant number   
of cases has demonstrated specific advantages of applying the KTP laser   
to the soft tissue component of these procedures.   
   
PETER F. KELLY, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S.   
  
The Western Virginia Laser Center   
Roanoke, VA