Tailored laser pulses for surgical applications

A method of using a laser system having a lasing medium to fragment a stone, comprising:

• directing a plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses to a device that optically pumps a lasing medium, the plurality of temporally spaced-apart electrical pulses including (a) a first electrical pulse configured to excite the lasing medium to an energy level below a lasing threshold of the lasing medium, wherein the first electrical pulse is a single pre-pulse, and (b) multiple second electrical pulses following the first electrical pulse, wherein a first pulse of the multiple second electrical pulses increases the energy level of the lasing medium above the lasing threshold;
• and
• outputting a quasi-continuous laser pulse from the lasing medium in response to the multiple second electrical pulses, wherein the quasi-continuous laser pulse is output toward the stone to fragment the stone, wherein the quasi-continuous laser pulse is one of (a) a single laser pulse having a continuous waveform, or (b) a plurality of temporally spaced apart laser pulses having a frequency greater than or equal to 1 kHz,
• wherein durations of at least one of the second electrical pulses are longer than a duration of the first electrical pulse.