[Efficacy of using the laser scalpel in operations on the stomach and intestines]

An analysis of the article "Clinico-morphological estimation of regenerative processes of the stomach wound made by laser scalpel" by prof. A. I. Nechaĭ et al. published in the Journal "Vestnik khirurgii" No. 1, 1985 has shown that the authors committed a number of fundamental technical errors when performing experimental studies and operations on gastrointestinal organs in the clinic which were followed by unsatisfactory results and conclusions on inexpediency of using lasers for such operations. The 10-year experience of the All-Union Research Center of Laser Surgery of the USSR Ministry of Health as well as that of most researchers dealing with this problem proves the opposite--the use of laser technique was found to improve processes of healing the gastric and intestinal wounds and to reduce the amount of postoperative complications and lethality.