Palliative and pre-operative endoscopic neodymium-YAG laser treatment of colorectal carcinoma.

Using endoscopic neodymium-YAG laser application permits successful treatment of ulcerated bleeding cancer. Further, palliative, ablative laser irradiation of tumors in inoperable patients avoids obstruction. Pre-operative recanalization of obstructive colorectal cancer causing ileus or subileus permits pre-operative orthograde bowel lavage as well as total colonoscopy, thus converting emergency surgery with staged procedures or intra-operative colon lavage into normal elective primary resection with all preoperative diagnostic and treatment modalities.