This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (43)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

A Survey

Suzanne M. Olbricht, MD; Robert S. Stern, MD; Steven V. Tang, MD; Joel M. Noe, MD; Kenneth A. Arndt, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1987;123(3):345-349.

Abstract
• We surveyed a selected group of 139 dermatologists and plastic surgeons about their experience with the complications of cutaneous laser surgery. Reported complication rates varied from 0% to 35%, with means of 3.2% for dermatologists and 6.2% for plastic surgeons using the argon laser, and 4.2% for dermatologists and 2.8% for plastic surgeons using the carbon dioxide laser. Hypertrophic scarring was the complication noted most frequently; 69% of physicians using the argon laser and 64% of physicians using the carbon dioxide laser have seen at least one case of hypertrophic scarring. Complications noted less frequently include infection, pain, atrophic scarring, intraoperative or postoperative hemorrhage, and prolonged wound healing. Environmental accidents were few. No procedure-related deaths, ocular damage, or secondary cutaneous malignant neoplasms were reported. We conclude that cutaneous laser surgery has an acceptable risk profile but that complications are not uncommon.

(Arch Dermatol 1987;123:345-349)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Dermatology (Drs Olbricht, Stern, Tang, and Arndt) and Surgery (Dr Noe), The Laser Unit and the Charles A. Dana Research Institute, Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Oct 23, 1986.

Presented in part before the annual meeting of the American Society of Laser Surgery and Medicine, Orlando, Fla, June 5, 1985.

Reprint requests to Department of Dermatology, Kirstein 444, Beth Israel Hospital, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215 (Dr Olbricht).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Treatment of Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Situ With a High-Energy Pulsed Carbon Dioxide Laser
Humphreys et al.
Arch Dermatol 1998;134:1247-1252.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT