Full-Field Erbium:YAG Laser Resurfacing: Complications and Suggested Safety Parameters.

BACKGROUND: Laser skin resurfacing with erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) lasers is a newer alternative to CO2 laser treatment, and was developed to reduce common complications. Although Er:YAG lasers have been available for years, safety parameters for efficacious resurfacing with these devices have not previously been available. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to utilize one practice's laser treatment settings and outcomes data to identify complication rates for various energies and areas of the face and to offer safe energy/depth parameters for treating each area. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for full-field confluent laser resurfacing patients treated with a Sciton Contour Tunable Resurfacing Er:YAG laser by the senior author. The data were retroactively analyzed with a time range of 8 years (January 2007-December 2015). RESULTS: The overall complication rate for MicroLaserPeels (ablation of 50 µm or less) was 10.1% (20 of 198 treatments) and the rate for deep resurfacing treatments was 26.5% (71 of 268 cases). In MicroLaserPeel treatments the cheek area had the highest complication rate, followed by the forehead, nose, perioral, and eyelid areas, in that order (complication rate range, 0%-9.1%). In deep resurfacing treatments the perioral area had the highest complication rate, 38.6% of 145 cases. This was followed by the lids, cheek, nose, and forehead, in that order (complication rate range, 15.2%-20.9%). There is a correlation between increased depth of ablation and increased rate of complication. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirmed the efficacy of Er:YAG resurfacing and provides guidance for a safer approach to excellent outcomes.

Development of enhanced ethanol ablation as an alternative to surgery in treatment of superficial solid tumors.

While surgery is at the foundation of cancer treatment, its access is limited in low-income countries. Here, we describe development of a low-cost alternative therapy based on intratumoral ethanol injection suitable for resource-limited settings. Although ethanol-based tumor ablation is successful in treating hepatocellular carcinomas, the necessity for multiple treatments, injection of large fluid volumes, and decreased efficacy in treatment of non-capsulated tumors limit its applicability. To address these limitations, we investigated an enhanced ethanol ablation strategy to retain ethanol within the tumor through the addition of ethyl cellulose. This increases the viscosity of injected ethanol and forms an ethanol-based gel-phase upon exposure to the aqueous tumor environment. This technique was first optimized to maximize distribution volume, using tissue-simulating phantoms. Then, chemically-induced epithelial tumors in the hamster cheek pouch were treated. As controls, pure ethanol injections of either four times or one-fourth the tumor volume induced complete regression of 33% and 0% of tumors, respectively. In contrast, ethyl cellulose-ethanol injections of one-fourth the tumor volume induced complete regression in 100% of tumors. These results contribute to proof-of-concept for enhanced ethanol ablation as a novel and effective alternative to surgery for tumor treatment, with relevance to resource-limited settings.

Postoperative Granulomas at Liposuction Incision Sites.

Since most liposuction incisions heal uneventfully, difficult healing in such incisions must be investigated. In the cases of two gynecomastia liposuction patients in which a water-based lubricating gel was used on the liposuction incisions, the incisions failed to heal. For both patients, workup uncovered palisading granulomas at the lateral inframammary fold incision sites several months after otherwise successful surgeries. These two cases are presented and the previous literature is reviewed, with consideration given to the etiology and prevention of such granulomas. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 5: Risk.