Is laser treatment with numbing cream painful?

My 5 month old has a small (about 1 cm by 3 cm) pws over her left eye.* The pediatric dermatologist told us he would like to treat it using numbing cream and that it would take about 5 seconds.* Could anyone tell me how painful would this be?* If it was your child would you do it?* Wll it really take 5 seconds from begining to end (she will be strapped in a papoose)?

Many thanks,
Linda

[hankbartenbach]

Hi Linda,

One question, is the laser they are wanting to use th V-Beam Pulse Dye Laser?
If so, the size of the PWS that you are talking about will be only take 5 seconds. I have PWS in many areas on my head including over both eyes.
I have used the cream you are speaking of, and for what your child is going to use it for should not be a problem.
It will not be painful and it will not swell. The stinging will wear off in about a half an hour. The stinging is not pain full, it feels like a rubber band snap.

So to answer your last question, if it was my child I would do it. For one I would never let my child go thru what I did growing up. My PWS is allot bigger and covers more area.


I hope you decide to go thru it now. Your child will not even remember the treatment.

Let me know if you want any more info.

Hank

[nickbar]

My son has had laser with pulse dye (v-beam brand) done both ways... without g.a for test spots..about 7 pulses.* Then the remaining treatments he had under g.a because it is a very large area and too close to his eye.

It was very fast and he was only 4 months old... I compare the experience to having his immunizations... which get me choked up when he cries in pain...but it is over quickly (if a small area) and with Tylenol and a lot of spoiling* * the baby and parents recover.*

For the first treatment MOST doctors do a lighter treatment to see how the skin and lesion react.* Ask your doctor about this and what to expect afterwards.* Color change, blisters, swelling, etc.*

Usually within the first day or two the baby's are back to normal and the laser tx. doesn't bother them anymore (like a sunburn)... and typically within 10 days the areas that were darker (purpla) are healed.* It can take up to 8 weeks to see the full results.* Don't be disappointed if you don't see drastic changes the first treatment.*

Please ask the doctor also about a protective sheild for her eye. My son's doctors put a special contact on his eye when he was under g.a and for the quick test spots we used glasses similar to the tanning bed type.

Corinne

[nickbar]

P.S. Hank...you must have a pretty high pain threshold... I hate rubber band snaps....
Like you said though...it is VERY QUICK and baby willnot remember.

C

[hankbartenbach]

Corinne,

Lets put it this way. The V-Beam does not hurt at all compared to the first PDL that I had when I was five years old. They heard every bad word in the book as they held my legs and arms down while the doctor zapped away.
The worst part was I had to drive eight hours one way to Denver from my home town in Nebraska. Then eight hours back. I did that for 7 years every other month.

Anyways, everytime I have used the V-Beam I drove myself there and home after the surgery. I would set in the waiting room longer then the procedure took.
I would just seat on the operating table and they would just zap away on me. They went so face and he was already putting the gun away and say, done already and then I would be on my way.

After so many treatments you get a talerent of pain in one area.

[nickbar]

You are for sure stronger than I am.

I also think part of the "pain" for children/babies is the fear...the
being held down part.

I am glad you don't have to do the old pdl anymore Hank...scary. You are so amazing!!!!!!!!!!

Corinne

Hi Linda!
I just read your posting and felt like I had to write you! I am a mom of a 2 year old baby girl who was also born with a port wine stain. My daughters covered most of the right side of her forehead. I went to Riley Children's Hospital to have her first two laser treatments when she was about 5 months old. They held her down and zapped her birthmark about 30 times. She too had the EMLA Cream. She did cry each time the laser flashed, but I can't tell for sure if it was painful because she can't tell me the answer to that. I cried through the whole thing each time they did it. I felt like there had to be a better way!
I found a plastic surgeon who used light gas anesthesia so that she would fall asleep for about 5 minutes. That way, she would never be traumatized or hurt. There were several other children who were also there the same day who had the same thing done. I liked the gas because I also worried that she might move and the laser would hit the wrong place. My daughter had 6 treatments total and looks beautiful (not that she wasn't beautiful before). I would definitely do it all over again! If you ever need to talk please feel free to email me! When my daughter was having her treatments, I wish I would have had someone to talk to who had been through it! It was so stressful. Luckily, it sounds like your baby's birthmark is small, so she may not need anesthesia. During a couple of my daughters treatments, they zapped her over 200 times! There's no way she would have held still while being awake for that! Have a great holiday! If you are interested in seeing pics, I would be happy to send them to you!
Sincerely,
Christine

Hi Hank. I had to respond after I saw what you wrote about* after so many treatments you become tolerant to pain in one area.
My daughter is 3 years old and we began treating her when she was six weeks old.
During her last treatment she kept telling her doctor that she wanted to go home BUT she was not saying ouch or showing any other signs of it hurting. Now I have always been told that it hurts so I remarked to the Nurse that she did not seem to be in pain during the treatment and the Nurse agreed that she did not seem to be in pain.. Afterwards, I aked her if it hurt and she said no it did not hurt but she was mad because she could not see me and she could not get up. I dont doubt that it "hurt" her but maybe she has become accustomed to the feeling of laser-she had 12 or 13 treatments before she was even a year old. Jinny did mention that she may be "used" to the laser by now but I realized after I read what you said, it may be true. Go figure...... I cry louder than she does at each treatment. Thankfully, it takes only a minute or so to laser her.
Thanks.....
Elena

[hankbartenbach]

Hi Elena,

Well there you have it, all your daughter does is channal the pain into something else. For instance anger, because she could not see you.

When I started lasers, many many years ago. It would take them 30 to 45 minutes to do the lasers and that was with nurses holding me down. Lasers back then were very slow. Your daughter knows it will be over faster and she can go home if she does not put up a fight. Back when I started I had a eight hour drive home after sugery.
In other words. I MADE MY PARENTS LIFE A LIVING HELL after treatments.

Hank

Thanks to all for the information. I'm going to call after the holidays to make sure the laser is a V-Beam Pulse Dye Laser. If not I'll look around for one.

Linda