The current status of gastrointestinal laser activity in the United States.

The therapeutic applications of fiberoptic endoscopy in the field of gastroenterology are expanding. In the therapy of gastrointestinal bleeding, the initial results of laser photocoagulation have been encouraging. As of May 1, 1981, 388 patients have been treated for gastrointestinal bleeding at 12 centers in the United States. A tabulation of the results in this uncontrolled compilation reveals that initial hemostasis was achieved in 80 to 95% of patients. Applications of the laser in addition to the treatment of actively bleeding lesions include therapy of neoplastic and angiodysplastic lesions. There is a growing interest in the utilization of endoscopic laser therapy.