[Surgical laser application in thoracic surgery. Potential and critical evaluation].

A 25-year experience of pulmonary and pleural surgery in 348 patients, reconstructive esophageal operations in 74 patients, bronchoscopic interventions using different laser techniques--in 925 patients, and thoracoscopic operations of traumatic and spontaneous pneumothorax--in 150 patients has been summarized. The methods of laser pulmonary resection, processing of bronchial stump, fibrous capsule, pleurodesis, stitching of esophagogastric, esophagointestinal and interintestinal anastomoses and of bronchoscopic photo destruction of tracheal and bronchial tumors have been described. Haemostatic, bactericidal and ablastic properties of laser have been described. Lasers were used in miniinvasive thoracic surgery for thoracoscopic and videothoracoscopic interventions.