Neurosurgery One Blog

Laser spine surgery.

The very description conjures images of the latest space-age technology coming to the operating room.

But that’s not exactly the case, says South Denver Neurosurgery spine expert Paul Boone, MD.

“Lasers aren’t used in surgery the way people imagine,” Boone says. “It’s not Star Wars.”

A laser is a focused light beam that is powerful enough to be used for cutting tissues. Laser technology is used in many types of medical procedures, including eye surgery, tumor removal, and cosmetic procedures.

But often, the term “laser surgery” is used to describe what may, in fact, be minimally invasive spinal surgery, Boone says.

Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr may be successful and widely admired for his abilities as a coach and a player. What he may not be is a guy you want to take medical advice from.

Kerr, head coach of arguably the season’s best NBA team, is sitting out the Warriors’ 2017 playoff run. He was sidelined by complications stemming from a spinal fluid leak after a 2015 surgery for a ruptured disc. But the 51-year-old coach and former player did not go quietly onto the bench. In April, he publicly advised anyone with back pain to “stay away from surgery,” and stick to physical therapy instead.