Past, Present, and Future Usage of Lasers in Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Hemostasis

In 1971, a surgeon named Goodale at the University of Minnesota described the first application of a laser to the gastrointestinal tract.1 He performed open surgery and using a CO2 laser to coagulate diffuse bleeding from the stomach in an attempt to avoid gastric resection. This article inspired other people in the world to look to the possibility of the endoscopic delivery of laser energy for coagulation.