Laser use in open surgery and external lesions

The Nd:YAG laser, the CO2 laser, and the argon laser have all been used as cutting or hemostatic tools in open urologic surgery and in the treatment of skin lesions of the genitalia with the choice of instrument being dictated by the characteristics of each wavelength. Results to date in open surgical applications have not been dramatic. For the treatment of benign and malignant lesions of the external genitalia, lasers may prove to have a significant advantage over existing methods of treatment.