Part Two – 1982 Pioneering CO₂ Laser Surgery in ENT – The First in the UK – by Mr Oswal

The BMLA is proud to release Part Two of the instructional series From Light to Medical Laser Light, created by Mr Vasant Oswal, Senior Adviser to the BMLA and Chair of its Education Committee.

This 50-minute video offers a rare and compelling insight into the origins of CO₂ laser surgery in ENT. Starting with Mr Oswal’s early days in medicine in 1955, it charts his appointment as Consultant ENT Surgeon in Middlesbrough in 1970, a time when Oro-maxillofacial surgery did not exist. His unit soon gained national recognition for pioneering major head and neck procedures, attracting senior trainees from across the UK.

Driven by his passion for teaching, Mr Oswal created colour-coded temporal bone dissections, now housed at the Royal College of Surgeons. Numerous trainee ENT surgeons have benefited from these specimens in gaining a deeper understanding of the intricate anatomy of the structures which make up the ear. He also produced an award-winning tape-slide programme on laryngeal cancer, presented at the Centennial Conference on Laryngeal Cancer held in Toronto in 1974. He was also among the first to introduce the concept of the multidisciplinary team in ENT oncology.

Part Two focuses on Mr Oswal’s groundbreaking adoption of the CO₂ laser, sparked by his first hands-on experience at the 1981 World ENT Congress in Budapest. With no textbooks or courses available, he taught himself from scratch—using steak, pig larynx, and eventually egg white to analyse laser-tissue interaction frame by frame. Ingeniously, he utilised the transparency of egg white to observe the depth of thermal effects in real-time.

Thanks to a public appeal that raised £72,000, far in excess of the £40,000 appeal, in just six months, the UK’s first CO₂ laser (Coherent 450) was installed in Middlesbrough in 1982. The video features original footage of Mr Oswal’s early self-conceived experiments, as well as landmark operations—starting with a laser excision of the fibroma from a young man’s tongue, which was bloodless and pain-free.
Later clips show advanced tongue cancer surgeries, including a complete glossectomy performed through the mouth without bleeding. Astonishingly, the patient began vocalising just one week later.

Featuring rare surgical footage, high-quality visuals, animations, and thoughtful narration, this film is essential viewing for ENT surgeons and all those interested in the history and evolution of laser medicine in the UK and beyond, through his worldwide travels to run courses and participate in conferences.

Viewer discretion is advised due to surgical content.
Running time: 50 minutes

Part Three, focusing on laser surgery of the larynx – a far more hazardous and technically challenging domain – is coming soon.

Mr. Vasant Oswal, currently serving as the Vice President of the British Medical Laser Association and Chair of the Education Committee, emerged as a trailblazing figure among ENT surgeons in the UK during the early 1980s by recognising the potential benefits of integrating lasers into surgical practice. Through pioneering bench experiments, he demonstrated the CO2 laser’s effectiveness in tissue cutting and blood vessel sealing, heralding the promise of nearly bloodless surgery.

Mr. Oswal’s innovative laboratory work, including the use of egg white to visualise laser-tissue interactions, laid the foundation for his successful implementation of laser technology in surgery. His dedication to advancing laser surgery extended to sharing knowledge with fellow surgeons, leading him and his wife Nirmal to organise internationally acclaimed hands-on laser courses, which ran for 28 years.

Approaching the age of 90, Mr Oswal remains steadfast in his commitment to sharing his expertise. He has produced instructional videos featuring the original 1982 recordings, covering the fundamentals of light and laser physics, properties, parameters, tissue interactions, and crucial safety considerations in laser surgery. These videos serve as valuable resources for both established laser users and newcomers to laser technology in medicine. Viewer discretion is advised for parts two and three (in preparation), which feature laser surgical procedures.

_{‘From Light to Medical Laser Light – Part 1’ by Mr Vasant Oswal, Emeritus Consultant Otolaryngologist H&N Surgeon at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, Cleveland}

British Medical Laser Association Founder and Vice President Mr Vasant Oswal MBBS, DORL, MS, DLO, FRCS, has been awarded the Rowena Ryan Lifetime Trainer Award by ENT UK, during a Research Showcase event held early September in London.

The award comes as an acknowledgement for Mr Oswal’s many years as a trainer, innovator and leader of medical education. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Oswal on this wonderful achievement.

You can read more about the Research Showcase on the ENT UK website here.

British Medical Laser Association Founder and Vice President Dr Vasant Oswal MBBS, DORL, MS, DLO, FRCS joins executive board member Kerry Belba for a follow up conversation about his pioneering career.