An 810�nm diode laser in the treatment of small (?1.0�mm) leg veins: a preliminary assessment

Abstract

A consistently effective treatment for small leg veins (< or = 1.0 mm) is still being sought. The efficacy of an 810 nm diode laser in vein removal was assessed in a preliminary study. Fifteen females, skin types I to III, vein diameters 0.5-1 mm, aged from 25 to 42 years, participated in the study. An 810 nm diode laser (90 W, 20 ms/pulse, 10 Hz rep rate, 4.0 mm hand piece) was applied along the target veins. Biopsies were taken from two patients before and after the first treatment session. No compression was applied post-treatment. Four weeks later, a second treatment was given. Results were assessed subjectively from the patients' satisfaction index (SI) and objectively from clinical photography done by an independent clinician, who also judged the venous morphology before and 4 weeks after the second session. All patients completed the trial. Pain was moderate to severe at the time of treatment and erythema which was mild, which was seen in all 15 patients; oedema occurred in 12 patients and blistering in only one. No scarring was noticed. The overall satisfaction indices at the 4- and 8-week assessments were 20.7% and 55.1%, respectively. No patient got worse. The objective evaluations at the 4- and 8-week assessments showed increasing improvement in all aspects examined. Pain at the time of treatment was a problem for all patients, so epidermal cooling should be added. Despite this, the 810 laser diode was an interesting and promising device for treatment of small leg veins, warranting further study in larger patient cohorts with a longer-term follow up.

Long-pulsed Nd:YAG 1064nm in the treatment of leg veins: Check up of results at 6 months in 100 patients

“…Moreover, 810 and 755 nm lasers are less effective than the 1064 nm Nd:YAG when treating patients with a high skin phototype due to the lower absorption in melanin at 1064 nm [14]. Even when hyperpigmentation does develop following long-pulsed Nd:YAG treatment of leg veins, it clears up well with time [15].…”

Treatment effects of combined radio-frequency current and a 900 nm diode laser on leg blood vessels

“…Although lasers and light sources in the near infrared waveband can penetrate deeper into tissue, concomitant with longer wavelengths, the pigment in hemoglobin becomes less of a powerful photoacceptor, being replaced by proteinaceous and other molecular targets and, after around 900 nm, water. Diode-based laser systems have lately been reported in the treatment of leg veins because of their ease of generating true continuous pulses of longer duration compared with flashlamppumped systems such as the Nd:YAG and pulsed dye lasers in which the ''long pulsed'' versions consist of a train of micropulses due to the difficulty in obtaining a continuous long pulse from flashlamp pumping, thus offering greater efficacy with less in the way of side effects [1][2][3][4][5].…”

Indocyanine green-augmented diode laser therapy vs. long-pulsed Nd:YAG (1064 nm) laser treatment of telangiectatic leg veins: a randomized controlled trial

“…Diode laser therapy induced moderate-to-severe pain in 15 participants during treatment. 14 In a further trial on diode laser therapy with radiofrequency conducted by the same author, 18 10 out of 40 participants reported experiencing painful treatment, which corresponded to 60% pain on a visual analogue scale of 0-100%.…”

“…treated 20 participants with a 940‐nm diode laser in one treatment session with the following laser parameters: radiant exposure 300–350 J cm −2 , spot size 1 mm, pulse duration 40–70 ms. At the 12‐month follow‐up visit, clearance rates > 75% were seen in 75% of participants and 50–75% in 25% of study participants. In a further trial, 15 participants with TLV measuring 0·5–1 mm in diameter were treated twice with an 810‐nm diode laser 4 weeks apart. The overall satisfaction rates at the 4‐ and 8‐week assessments were 21% and 55%, respectively.…”