In recent years, the use of laser technology in surgery has found more and more widespread use. Low invasiveness, good hemostasis, antiseptic properties, non-contact, analgesic effect of the laser beam give it a significant advantage over traditional surgical instruments, including the electric knife. In 1981-1982. in the 1st surgical department of the hospital st. Kazan performed 91 opening of purulent cavities and treatment of purulent wounds with a laser beam in 80 patients who had various purulent-inflammatory and other diseases: abscesses, phlegmon (22), purulent wounds (13), osteomyelitis, gangrene of the fingers (11), carbuncles, boils (10), epithelial-coccygeal cysts (8), trophic ulcers (6), mastitis (5), burns (3), benign tumors (2). There were 46 men, 34 women, the patients' age was from 24 to 81 years.