Does Topical Anesthesia Alter the Outcomes of Vascular Laser Procedures? Review of Vasodynamic Effects and Clinical Outcomes Data

Abstract

BACKGROUND Topical anesthesia has vasodynamic effects within the skin and therefore has the potential to change the presence of hemoglobin as a chromophore before intense pulsed light (IPL) and vascular laser treatments. It is unclear whether this is clinically relevant. Global consensus on the use of topical anesthetics in this context is lacking. OBJECTIVE Review the effects of topical anesthetics on the skin microvasculature and the clinical implications of such effects on vascular treatments. METHODS PubMed and Medline searches were performed to identify studies examining the vasodynamic effects of topical anesthesia on skin and evaluating differences in efficacy of IPL and vascular laser treatments with or without topical anesthetic use. RESULTS Published studies reveal variable effects of different topical anesthetic agents on skin microvasculature. Only 3 controlled studies that directly examined the effect of topical anesthesia on clinical outcomes for pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment of vascular conditions were identified. They did not support a difference in clinical outcomes with or without the use of topical anesthesia before PDL treatment. CONCLUSION Although topical anesthetic agents have vasodynamic effects within the skin, there is currently insufficient evidence to advise against their use before light and laser-based vascular treatments.