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The
Effect
Vascular Lesion Laser Treatment is used to treat benign
vascular lesions which are overgrown enlarged blood vessels
or multiple small vessels. This treatment is safe, easy,
and effective in targeting red blood cells which then heat
and damage the vessels.
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The
Procedure
The
use of this procedure differs for each patient. This
depends on what kind of lesion the patient has or the size
of the affected area. For lesions with small broken
vessels, only a few pulses are required unlike with
port‑wine stains, many pulses are necessary. There may also
be instances when more than one session is required to treat
leg veins.
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Best
Candidates
The
best candidates for this procedure are patients who are
suffering from vascular lesions or enlarged or distended
blood vessels.
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Treatments
Time
required for this procedure usually takes a few minutes to
an hour. There may be cases which require more than one
session. This is usually done on an outpatient basis except
if this is combined with other surgical procedures that need
hospitalization. Anesthesia used may be a numbing spray,
local or general.
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Side Effects
Some
of the most common side effects of this procedure are
temporary swelling, discomfort, or lightening of the treated
area. Increased sensitivity to cosmetics and sensitivity to
acute sun exposure may also be experienced. It may take up
to six months wherein the patient may have persistence of
pinkness or redness of the skin.
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Recovery Time
The
patient may resume work in about two weeks. But it would
take a longer time, about 4 to 6 weeks to go back to doing
strenuous activities. The fading of the redness or erythema
of the skin takes approximately three months. Return of
pigmentation/sun exposure, on the other hand, takes about 6
to 12 months.
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Q:
What does this treatment involve?
A:
Pulses are used in vascular specific laser treatment;
however, this varies from patient to patient. Lesions like
small broken vessels make use of only a few pulses. Cases
such as port-wine stains require more. Treatment of leg
veins every so often would necessitate more than one
treatment.
Q:
What kind of vascular lesions require laser treatment?
A:
Some of the vascular lesions that are treated with laser are
telangiectasias or spider veins, port-wine stain birthmarks
(vascular birthmark containing vessels), and strawberry
hemangiomas (a kind of hemangioma). Leg veins with a width
of up to 2 mm can also be eliminated. Abnormal blood
vessels in the skin are common in these conditions. On the
other hand, they all differ in severity. For instance,
telangiectasias or broken blood vessels, most of the time,
involve single vessels and are most of the time harmless.
Port-wine stains are inclined to grow with patients who are
usually infants. They are dark in color and if left
untreated, these will never go away. Hemangiomas grow very
quickly after birth but usually go away with time. However,
there are some that may actually impair one’s vision or
breathing and should be treated before they advance to this
stage. In addition to this, targeting the rich vascular
supply may be done in treating warts, red and raised scars,
and inflammatory lesions like psoriasis.
Q:
What are the side effects of this treatment?
A:
Vascular specific laser treatment, unlike other methods of
treatment, significantly lessens the chances of scarring or
changes in the skin temperature. However, some temporary
discoloration of the skin surrounding the treated area may
be experienced. This discoloration which is usually
blue-gray is called purpura. They usually resolve in 5 to 7
days. On the other hand, purpura, when treating leg veins
may last longer, approximately 7-14 days. A temporary brown
discoloration of the skin may also be experienced depending
on one’s skin type and the site and size of the lesion
treated. They usually last for several weeks after the
procedure. However, it is always temporary. The laser can
be used with much less purpura although additional
treatments may be needed. With the appropriate
pre-operative and post-operative care, side effects
oftentimes can be lessened.
Q:
Should certain precautions be taken after treatment?
A:
It is important to take proper care in the first few days
after the treatment. Application of an ice pack may be done
in order to soothe the treated area. Application of a
topical antibiotic cream or ointment may also be done. It
is important that abrasive or harsh skin cleansers are
avoided, as well as scrubbing of the area. In order to
prevent abrasion of the treated area, a bandage or a patch
may be utilized.
Q:
What are the other precautions that I should be aware of?
A:
It is advisable that one should avoid exposing the site
treated to the sun or at least cover the area by applying a
sunblock that has been endorsed by your physician. Most
favorable results are achieved with this treatment if one is
not suntanned. Since pigment is closer to the surface of
the skin than the blood vessels of a lesion, the pigment in
tanned skin acts as a barrier which precludes the
penetration of the laser light from reaching the lesion.
For that reason, laser is most effective when used in
lighter skin types.
Q: Why
is treatment with a laser safe and effective?
A:
Because of the laser’s exceptional capacity to selectively
treat the blood vessels of a vascular lesion without harming
or damaging the surrounding tissue, it is considered very
safe and effective. Because of this feature, many lesions
are eliminated while keeping the surrounding skin
undamaged. As a matter of fact, because it is known to be
safe, infants, as young as a few weeks old, may undergo this
procedure.
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