The surgeon inserts an endoscope into the incision. The equipment has a camera to view the inside part of the spine. After locating the problematic disc, the surgeon will insert a laser into the incision and cut the problematic surface. The surgeon will then remove the disc portion and close the incision.

The study, which took into account almost 20,000 procedures, found a success rate ranging from 70% to 89%. Long term follow‐up to 23 years found a recurrence rate of 4% to 5%.

Thanks to technological and medical advances, physicians are now able to treat a number of common back and neck conditions with laser spine surgery, which is often less painful and heals more quickly than traditional open spine surgery.

One of the main potential complications from laser back surgery is damage to the surrounding tissue. Because a laser is used for the procedure, heat damage can occur to surrounding nerves, bone, and cartilage. Another possible complication is infection.

Common side effects include temporary redness, skin irritation, a warm sensation during treatment, and a temporary increase in pain or discomfort. These reactions are generally mild and subside within a few hours or days.

Certain conditions, such as autoimmune diseases (e.g., lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), immunodeficiency states (e.g., HIV) and diabetes, and some medications (e.g., retinoic acid and steroids) may prevent proper healing after a refractive procedure. You actively participate in contact sports.

Laser therapy can result in misdirected or excessively intense burns, bleeding from the choriocapillaris, damage to macular and other ocular structures, and breaks in Bruch's membrane.

What are the risks?

• bleeding.
• infection.
• pain.
• scarring.
• changes in skin color.

You might notice increased light sensitivity, glare, halos around bright lights or double vision. Even when a good visual result is measured under standard testing conditions, your vision in dim light (such as at dusk or in fog) may be reduced to a greater degree after the surgery than before the surgery.

Disadvantages are a longer healing period and temporary crust formation as in conchotomy, the high technical effort and cost of the laser. The use of laser radiation as a surgical "light knife".

Injuries resulting from staring into the laser beam include permanent damage to the eye and subsequent partial or total loss of vision. Injuries from lasers can also occur when the beam is shone into the eyes of unsuspecting people. This can result in a 'dazzle effect' where the exposure leads to disorientation.

Contraindications. Cold laser therapy should not be used over any suspicious cancerous lesions, or carcinoma, over the thyroid, on pregnant patients, and there should not be direct irradiation of the eyes, as the laser can cause permanent damage to the eyes.