Use of CO2 laser knife in gastroenterological surgery

Favourable results obtained by using the RT TLS61 CO2 laser of TUNGS-RAM, of a performance of 60 W are reported. It is emphasized that the device has several advantages in surgical gastroenterology over the traditional cutting instruments. The light of the device coagulates the smaller than 0.5 mm vessels during cutting. On opening the gastrointestinal tract-contrary to electrocautery-the necrotic zone is narrower, which may be of importance from the point of view of suture insufficiency. The device provides more favourable conditions for ablastic operations than do the traditional cutting instruments.