New center promotes laparoscopic surgery. (Baptist Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee)

New center promotes laparoscopic surgery Laser laparoscopic techniques and equipment manufacturing--already one of medicine's fastest growing areas--will get a boost from the opening of the nation's first surgery center designed, equipped and staffed solely for laser and laparoscopic surgery.

The center was opened Jan. 14 at the 759-bed Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tenn. It cost $1.9 million, half for renovations and half for equipment.

The center is equipped with seven KTP/ND:YAG and CO2 lasers--four of which are new--built by Laserscope, San Jose, Calif. The 8,000-square-foot center is also equipped with one Pulsolith (used for dissolving gallstones) …