Laser Surgery

What are the types of laser surgery to the face?

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Lasers can be used to reduce wrinkles around the lips or eyes, even the entire face, softening fine wrinkles and removing certain pigmentations and other colored blemishes on the face.

Laser Removal of Birthmarks and Skin Lesions

Port-wine stain birthmarks respond remarkably well to laser treatment. The abnormal blood vessels that cause these marks are reduced in size by the laser. This results in a lightening of the treated area. Skin growths, facial “spider veins,” warts, and some tattoos respond to laser surgery. Most situations take more than one laser treatment, but some respond to a single treatment.

Dr Girish Rao, Maxillofacial Surgeon often uses the minimum laser intensity possible. The low intensity requires many treatments. However, the low intensity also preserves as much of the healthy tissue as possible. This produces an aesthetically pleasing result. Many of these laser surgeries are performed as outpatient treatments in hospitals or offices.

Understanding the facial laser surgery

After your surgeon has indicated that a laser can be helpful in the surgery, your surgeon will explain the laser of choice and what can be accomplished. As with all surgery, the laser has its limitations. Often the results are very good. Your surgeon will give you the best judgment for the particular procedure.

Some surgeons may use local anesthetics to numb the treated area before the surgery. Surgery can sometimes be done in the surgeon’s office; other times the surgeries are performed in outpatient facilities at a clinic or hospital. Your surgeon will decide on the appropriate method, dictated by the nature of the surgery.

Because safety is a major component of laser use, your surgeon will describe safety precautions before the surgery.