The Nd:YAG laser has finally become the multidisciplinary and muitispeciaity tool of the 1980s. Primarily developed for gastrointestinal applications for controlling bleeding, at present it is also used for endoscopic treatment of gastrointestinal tumors, endobronchial cancer, and bladder and gynecological lesions and finding applications in otorhinolaryngology and neurosurgery. De- velopment of laser scalpels and focusing head-pieces has now allowed the Nd:YAG laser to be used for open surgical procedures in general and plastic surgery, head and neck surgery, urology, gynecology, dermatology, and neu- rosurgery. The rapid development in ceramic technology has led to contact surgery allowing physicians a choice of excision, vaporization, coagulation, incision, or combinations thereof by easily changing probes rather than having to select new laser wavelengths. This technology is rapidly replacing the carbon dioxide laser which currently has no adequate flexible waveguide for fiberoptic en- doscopy, cannot be used in a water medium (e.g., bladder), and has poor coagulation properties when compared to the Nd:YAG laser.
Future developments may see the Nd:YAG laser even replacing electro- cautery in the operating room due to its greater safety and efficacy. Local hyperthermia (laserthermia) with computer control, photodynamic therapy, and ophthalmic applications make the Nd:YAG laser the most exciting tech- nological advancement in medicine and surgery for the 1980s.