title: A prototype vessel compressor helps efficient laser treatment of small leg veins.
abstract: The eradication of small leg veins with lasers continue to present problems. Visible light lasers (488 nm approximately 595 nm) are well absorbed in haemoglobin but melanin is also a target, necessitating aggressive skin cooling to prevent damage to the epidermis and adding to the expense of these laser systems. A new generation of much less expensive semiconductor-based lasers operating in the near infrared offers a different approach, with protein as the main target rather than pigment. For visible light lasers, compression of the target vessels is a contraindication, since the target pigment is removed. For near IR diode lasers, however, compression of the vessels is a benefit, as the cooling effect of the blood flow is removed and the highly proteinous vessel walls are coapted which encourages efficient coagulative vessel closure. The prototype of a simple vessel compressor is presented, which first compresses vessels and coapts the walls, and then presents the coapted vessels as a target for a laser of an appropriate wavelength.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Médico Vilafortuny, Antoni de Gimbernat Foundation, Cambrils, Spain. imv@laser-spain.com
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Trelles
authors.forename: R Glen
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Calderhead
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000601:surgery*