Laser treatment with a 1064-nm laser for lower extremity class I-III veins employing variable spots and pulse width parameters.
BACKGROUND
The long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser (employing varying spot sizes, pulse widths, and fluences) has gained popularity for treating lower extremity blue and red vessels that are less than 4 mm in diameter.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of high-power 50-ms 1064 Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of class I-III lower extremity vessels.


METHODS
Ten female patients (mean age of 39 years) had a 5-cm2 area of veins measuring 0.2 to 3 mm in diameter treated with up to three treatment sessions using a new 1064 Nd:YAG laser, with the end point being 100% vessel clearing after three treatments. Red vessels were treated with a spot size of 1.5 mm, a fluence of 400 to 600 J/cm2, a pulse width of 30 to 50 ms; blue vessels of 1 to 3 mm were treated with a spot size of 3 mm, a fluence of 250 to 370 J/cm2, and a pulse width of 50 to 60 ms. Macrophotographic imaging evaluations by blinded observers using a quartile scale and a patient satisfaction scale were employed to evaluate results.


RESULTS
At month 3 after the final treatment session, 20% of all vessel types had 50% to 75% improvement. Equal clearing was noted for blue and red vessels. At month 6, 80% of patients had a greater than 75% clearing. Ninety percent of patients were highly satisfied with the treatment results at 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
By varying spot size, fluence, and pulse duration, a long-wavelength 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser can achieve excellent results for treating both blue and red lower extremity vessels that are less than 3 mm in diameter.
Sadick
Neil S
NS
Department of Dermatology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 772 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014680:Veins / Q000601:surgery*