Abstract: A desired pattern may be cut into a stent preform by impinging a laser beam onto the stent preform. The laser beam is formed using a laser system comprising a resonator cavity for resonating laser radiation, a gain medium contained in the resonator cavity, a pump for periodically pumping the gain medium and an electro-optical modulator in communication with the resonator cavity. The laser system produces a radiation pulse for each pump period. Each radiation pulse is conditioned by suppressing at least a portion of the pulse. The pulse may also be modulated with an electro-optical modulator to produce a pulse train of ordered pulses of radiation. Each pulse train is output from the optical cavity as an output laser beam which is directed at the stent preform to cut a desired pattern in the stent preform.