The History of Laser Surgery at RGH

November 1981 ~ RGH acquires 2 Sharplan 733 C02 lasers, one for clinical use and a second for surgical research.

December 1981 ~ Laser training courses begin with instruction for RGH’s surgeons and nursing staff.

May 26, 1982 ~ Drs. H. Raul Herrera and Ralph P. Pennino perform the first non-ophthalmologic laser procedure by excising and closing a very large, infected pressure sore.

June 1983 ~ Professor Issac Kaplan, a plastic surgeon and father of the Sharplan C02 laser, presents the Laser Group with a control pod for the Sharplan 733 laser enabling it to be used for laser tissue fusion. RGH’s laser is one of two laser systems in the world with this technology.

June 1984 ~ The Laser Center at Rochester General Hospital is officially designated. Dr. Raymond J. Lanzafame assumes the role of Director of the Laser Center and the Laser Training Program.

October 1985 ~ The Laser Group is invited to present their work at the VI Congress of the International Society For Laser Surgery and Medicine In Tel Aviv, Israel.

1986 ~ The annual laser case volume at RGH swells to 1000 cases per year, excluding ophthalmology. Only 8 cases were performed in 1982. RGH is unique in that general and plastic surgery account for the majority of cases performed.
1987 ~ Laser training becomes a required part of residency education for General Surgery Residents at the University of Rochester. The Laser Center is the site of this training for residents and fellows. Rochester is one of two programs offering training to general surgery residents and the only one to make it a requirement. Residents were always a fixture of laser course at RGH from their inception.

1988 ~ The Laser Center receives $98,000 Grant for Photodynamic therapy of obstructing bronchial tumors.

1989 ~ The Laser Groups’ Color Atlas of C02 Laser Techniques is published. (Lanzafame RJ, Hinshaw JR eds) Color Atlas of C02 Laser Techniques, St Louis: Ishiyaku EuroAmerica, Inc 1988, pp 294)

1990 ~ The Laser Group begins offering training in minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Spring 1989 ~ Laser Center Newsletter "Light Moves" is inaugurated.

June 26, 1990 ~ The first two laser-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomies in Rochester are performed by Dr. Raymond J. Lanzafame with Dr. Timothy McCullough assisting. (The first lap chole in Rochester was performed on May 8th at Park Ridge Hospital by Dr. McCullough, with Dr. Lanzafame and Dr. William Farlow assisting).

1991 ~  Laser Center receives $138,000 in grants to study the safety and efficacy of photodynamic therapy in esophageal and bladder cancers.

1992 ~  Dr. Lanzafame is elected to the Board of Directors of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

1993 ~ RGH Laser Center is cofounder of the Great Lakes Biomedical Laser Consortium with SUNY Buffalo School of Dentistry, Ontario Cancer Center, Department of Engineering Hamilton University, Dr. John Featherstone’s laser research group at Eastman Dental School and Dr. Wolf Seka at the UR Laboratory of Laser Energetics.
1995 ~  Dr. Lanzafame is elected President of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

1997 ~ Dr Ralph Pennino is elected to the Board of Directors of The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.
1999 ~ Dr. Lanzafame receives the Ellet Drake Lectureship Award. He becomes the Director of Continuing Medical Education for the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

2000 ~ Dr. Lanzafame receives the Presidential Citation from the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. Mr. Philip Oskoui is awarded a Summer Research Fellowship Award by the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery to study laser assisted reinforcement of arterial walls.

2001 ~ Dr. Lanzafame receives the William B. Mark Award for innovation and teaching from the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. He is also awarded designation as a Senior Fellow of the Laser Institute of America.

2002 ~ Laser Center is awarded a $25,000 grant to study the use of NASA LED devices on wound healing in diabetics; a $50,000 grant to investigate the use of laser technology to stimulate hair growth; and a $33,000 portion of an SBIR grant (NIDDK: 1R43DK62571-01) with Conversion Energy Enterprises, Inc. to develop technologies for laser tissue soldering for use in hernia repair.

2003 ~ Dr. Lanzafame is appointed as a Consultant to the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee, Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Rochester General Hospital acquires the Niagara Green Light Laser for use in laser-assisted prostate surgery and performs over 400 of these procedures annually.

2004 ~ Mr. Philip Brondon is awarded a Summer Research Fellowship Award by the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery to investigate the optimal parameters for laser photobiomodulation (biostimulation).
 

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