The Myths and Physics of Soft Tissue Surgical Lasers – Frenectomies and Beyond
Peter Vitruk, PhD

A good surgical laser for cutting soft tissue must be able to vaporize soft tissue, while at the same time efficiently coagulating surgical margins. Not all laser wavelengths are suitable to comply with both requirements. This course focuses on the practical aspects of soft tissue laser surgery and on the fundamental processes involved in the laser-tissue interaction; it helps attendees learn how deep the laser beam cuts and how deep the coagulation and hemostasis extend into the surgical margins.

Dr. Peter Vitruk was born and raised in Ukraine. He earned his PhD degree in Physics in the late 1980s in the former USSR. In the 1990s he held a Research Scientist position with The Academy of Sciences in the former USSR and then a Royal Society Visiting Research Fellow position at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He later worked as Senior Scientist with Synrad Inc. in Seattle, WA, and then as Chief Scientist with Luxar/ESC/Lumenis also in Seattle, WA. In 2000s Dr. Vitruk founded LuxarCare-Aesculight LLC-LightScalpel group of companies, the only American-based designer and manufacturer of flexible fiber surgical CO₂ lasers for dentists, physicians and veterinarians . Dr. Vitruk has authored 10 patents and over 40 articles on CO₂ lasers and is a Member of The Institute of Physics, UK. In 2017 he founded the American Laser Study Club, an educational platform that helps physicians, dentists, veterinarians, and practice staff members to excel at the efficient and safe application of laser energy in everyday practice.

1 CE credit available to AAPMD members