Laser in the OR

[staceyp413]

A couple of questions.........

Do you use lasers in the OR where you work?

If yes, do you have a laser safety officer?

If yes, do you run your own laser or rent it from a company each time a case is scheduled/booked?

Thank you

[tareq]

yes we'r using laser in urology or for stone cases and other

our laser safety officer is our head nurse

we lease the laser machine for say like 3yr and we buy the laser fibers

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

We use laser in urology, gyn, ENT.

We have a nurse who is the laser safety officer.

For laser cases there are 2 circulatiors, one to circulate, the other to run the laser.

We own our own laser machines and laser equipment.

[mcmike55]

To answer your questions,

Yes we use lasers. Mostly CO2 for Gyn cases, and a few different ones for Uro. Holmium for stones, and strictures, bladder tumors, also Green light laser (used to be called a Niagra) for prostates.

We rent all of our lasers from outside. We have two companies we use all the time, only one has the green light though. When the doc books the case, either the office, or our scheduling secretary calls the laser co.

Normally they call the day before to confirm the time, etc.

They bring one guy. He's the transporter, set up tech and operator, with the doc stepping on the pedal of course.

Between them they decide the fiber size, wattage, etc.

At the end, the laser co provides documentation of safety set up, procedure notes, etc.

We have a laser safety officer in the OR, me in fact, available at all times.

But in essence the circulator and the laser rep oversee safety in the room. If there is any question, they ask me.

We used to have an old CO2 laser, a real work horse. But it needed some major repairs, and we felt in the long run it was more financially helpful if we rented lasers. Less maint. costs, less people need trained, and as new lasers come and go, we don't have to fool with upgrades, etc.

Mike

[CIRQL8]

We use laser in the OR. We own our own lasers, but lease as needed (if a michine is down, or we need more than we own). I am the team leader for lasers in the OR, my department has a LSO, and we have a house wide LSO, who is on the laser board. We use CO2, GreenLight, Holmium and Neodymium, and also VenaCure (used to be ELViS). The day surgery has a couple of other lasers for eye surgery. Policy states that the laser operator must be dedicated to the laser (i.e. may not circulate and run laser at the same time). Each laser operator must take a laser safety in-service and be precepted on each machine before being turned loose.