Lasers in medicine: treatment of retinopathy of prematurity.

Lasers are a unique surgical tool, but what actually are they? This article answers that question and describes how lasers work and how they are being used in medicine. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) then is defined. Cryotherapy, a surgical procedure often performed on ROP patients, is reviewed and compared to photocoagulation, a form of laser therapy. Photocoagulation and its complications are then discussed.