Laser surgery in colonic and anorectal lesions

Endoscopic laser therapy for diseases of gastrointestinal tract in general, and lesions of colon, rectum, and anus in particular, is in its infancy. Advances are expected to be made to define those lesions that are amenable to lasers and those that are not. In this process, it is hoped that the relative merits and demerits of the various modes of endoscopic therapy might be brought to light. With the advent of contact Nd:YAG laser technology, it is increasingly realized that such a mode of operation could be used to great advantage in both endoscopic and open surgery related to lower-gastrointestinal tract diseases. Furthermore, contact Nd:YAG laser therapy definitely appears to be efficient and safe and compares favorably with other therapies available. How such an effective modality should be sequenced in combination with other available therapies has yet to be worked out. There is more to be done in this arena, which holds high promises.