[The role of the laser in gastrointestinal surgery]

In a series of 2500 operations with laser in the gastrointestinal region the authors used laser CO2 with up to 90 W strength and Nd--Yag with up to 80 W strength, both alone and in combination. Principal application of this technique is in oncologic surgery: resection of liver, volatilization of hepatic and other metastases, destruction of inoperable carcinoma in the middle and distal portion of the rectum and in other fields of proctologic surgery. In this aspect, laser technique is a powerful palliative means in the general arsenal of surgery.