Measurements of thermoelastic and ablative stress transients generated by pulsed lasers in tissue samples have been made using fast time-response (nanosecond) piezoelectric film transducers. Studies of the ablation of cornea using excimer and CO2 lasers, and of vascular tissue using excimer, dye and solid-state lasers are described. It is shown that useful information on the pulsed laser interaction can be gained from these measurements.