It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of smoke in a surgery room or surgical facility was thought of as only because the boiler room was on fire.

The idea of smoke being generated during a surgical procedure was beyond all possible and rational belief. But then came the innovation known as laser surgery.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Boby via a Creative Commons license]

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Boby via a Creative Commons license]

Lasers had been at work in other industries for a few years before they became part of the surgeon’s toolbox in the medical world. Over the last 40 years, lasers have advanced to either be the main tool in a surgical procedure, or at least part of many surgeries, such as to solder up wounds or to stitch a retina back on the eyeball as examples. one of the great benefits of lasers is that they are extremely precise, which can make for more sure work and would actua;ly reduce recovery time. One of the side effect, however, has to do with the make-up of a laser. A laser, you see, is a very concentrated and focused beam of light, and light always gives off some level of heat.

And that level of heat can often be high enough to burn flesh, and burning flesh gives off smoke.  And that smoke can be unhealthy for healthcare workers who are exposed to it regularly.

Is it a significant problem? That depends on how much exposure workers have to lasers. However, surgical smoke can be as dangerous as virtually any other smoke you may encounter – you could get something as “mild” as irritation of the nose or throat, or excessive exposure could lead to emphysema or bronchitis.

But lest you think this problem is recent, think again. This has been an issue for 20 years, and NIOSH put forth some recommendations for controlling surgical smoke and mitigating worker exposure, and the resulting follow-up survey was disheartening. Years after the recommendations were put forth, only about half of the more than 4,000 survey respondents said that local exhaust ventilation was being used during laser surgery, and only about one in seven people said that the ventilation was being used during electrosurgery.

NIOSH is renewing a push to encourage employers and healthcare workers to understand the risks of surgical smoke and to take proper mitigation steps for the safety of all involved. For more information about surgical smoke and the safety recommendations, visit the NIOSH site via the Centers for Disease Control.