Turkish Journal of Plastic Surgery (Jan 2020)
Dye laser and long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser treatment of vascular lesions: Clinical experience
Abstract
Introduction: Hemangiomas and vascular malformations are common vascular lesions. Although various methods have been described in the treatment of vascular lesions, the place of lasers is very important. Today, dye laser and Nd: YAG lasers are most commonly used in the laser treatment of vascular lesions. Materials and Methods: A total of 137 patients treated with 585–600 nm flashlamp pulsed dye laser and 1064-nm long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser in three laser units were searched, and laser setups and the number of sessions used were evaluated. Evaluations were made by three plastic surgeons over photographs. According to the discoloration and decrease in height of the lesion, it was classified as 0%–25% (poor), 25–50 (average), 50–75 (good), and 75–100 (excellent). The age of the patients ranged from 2 months to 55 years. 53 port-wine stain, 18 telangiectasia, 8 cherry angioma, 12 spider angioma, 18 hemangioma, 8 venous lake, 11 intraoral hemangioma, and 9 other vascular lesions constituted the distribution of diagnoses between patients. Laser power used in dye laser treatments ranged between 7 and 19 J/cm2, the mean sequence was 6.4, and duration ranged between 1.5 and 20 msec. Nd:YAG l laser power ranged between 120 and 240 J/cm2, the mean sequence was 2.8, and duration ranged between 10 and 50 msec. Results: Seventy patients (51.1%) achieved excellent results, 32 patients (23.36%) achieved good results, 14 patients (10.21%) achieved average clearance, and 21 patients (15.33%) showed low or no removal of their lesion. High success was achieved with minimal complications. Conclusion: Today, dye laser and Nd: YAG lasers provide a satisfactory aesthetic result, low morbidity, and effective treatment for many vascular lesions in terms of patient comfort. In order to optimize results and reduce negative effects, it is necessary to master the properties of the laser and have sufficient knowledge of the interactions of the laser with tissue.
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