Nd:YAG laser treatment of colorectal malignancies: An experience of 4 ½ years

Abstract

Between 1985 and 1990, 517 patients were treated for colorectal malignancies at our department of surgery. Nd:YAG laser therapy was used in 37 cases (7.1%). The mean age of these 22 men and 15 women was 71.4 years (range: 22-96 years). One hundred-twenty-nine Nd:YAG laser treatments were performed. Indications for laser treatment were (1) palliative tumor reduction (n = 21), (2) preresectional laser recanalization for obstructing carcinoma (n = 6), and (3) curative treatment (n = 10). Laser related complications included one perforation of the rectum and one rectovaginal fistula. One fatal pulmonary embolism occurred. After palliative treatment, five patients died because of tumor progression (mean survival time: 16 months), two because of other reasons. All patients with obstructing tumors could be recanalized successfully. After curative treatment, eight patients are still alive without tumor recurrence (mean survival time: 25.5 months), and two died of other causes. Palliative Nd:YAG laser treatment of colorectal malignancies is a competitive alternative to conventional surgery. Recanalization of obstructing tumors is an excellent treatment for large bowel obstruction, making one-stage resections possible. Curative treatment should be reserved for special cases only.

Laser Surgery for ENT Procedures: our Experience

“…8,9 3) Tissue or vessel perforation. 10,11 4) Eye injury 5) Embolism 12,13 6) Ignition of surgical drapes 14,15 7) Electrical tripping as the laser machines have high power requirements 8) Chemical hazards due to variety of lasing mediums used such as solvents, dyes or hazardous gases. 9) Noise: Lasers are frequently noisy with levels occasionally going as high as 90 dB.…”

Ablation of temporomandibular joint structures of a pig with a fibre-guided 308nm excimer laser light—an in vitro investigation

“…Recently, the surgical application of lasers has been almost exlusively the province of those systems generating heat such as the argon laser, the Nd:YAG laser and the CO 2 laser (Carruth, 1982;Horch et al, 1986;Tuchmann et al, 1989;Pogrel et al, 1990;Dittrich et al, 1992;Powell and Blankenau, 2002). The irradiated tissue is heated and vapourized as soon as it absorbs a certain amount of energy (Mester et al, 1985;Bradrick et al, 1989).…”