Is laser treatment actually working? (Pic's) - Page 2

nickbar · #11 06-01-2005, 07:46 PM

What a cutie pie!!!! A thing to note is that laser tx. also help control the thickening of the PWS in the long run.

Corinne

hankbartenbach · #12 06-03-2005, 10:18 PM

Hi Nancy,

My name is Hank 23 years old with facial PWS.

First of all welcome and your son is sooooo cute.

I have done laser treatment for 17 years now off and on and over 100 visits. From what you have discribed and what I can see in the pictures the laser is defintly working. It will take time to make it fade. My PWS is allot darker and deeper, so that is why I will be doing laser treatment for probably the rest of my life off and on. (depending on how my plastic surgery goes.

I have allot of pictures posted on this PWS section if you want to see what my PWS looks like.

If you have more questions please ask we are all here to help you and your family.

Hank

#13 06-06-2005, 05:33 AM

Hi, Your son is so cute. I would say that yes treatment is working for Logan. I can see where some of his birthmark has actually disappeared. The other spots may take longer due to the fact that they are "fleshy" bits. Our derm. explained to us, that where there is more flesh, it is harder for the laser to work. Our daughter Claire has a larger b/mark than Logan, but in some of the same places. Her fading in those areas, have taken time, but have noticeably faded over time. She has had 8 treatments with v-beam at 7mm spots, ranging from 9 to 12 joules.

I hope this helps.
Catherine (claire's mum 2.5yo facial pws)

Feel free to email me at bcparker@dodo.com.au if you would like to compare photos. Cheers!

#14 06-29-2005, 10:44 PM

Nancy, this is Linda Shannon from VBF. Logan is absolutely adorable. Logan looks to have a grade III confluent port wine stain. I can tell from his first picture...not geographic with good, white skin peeking through. What this means is that his vessels are large and deep. You will have to stay on top of this. The first 8 treatments will be the clearest it will get. The rest is too deep. His will not be "gone" like the Grade I and II lesions that have lots of skin peeking through. His is also very midline (you could almost draw a line through his face) and that means you will need to stay on top of his stain to make sure there is no skin thickening or lip thickening. The deeper vessel stains (like Hank has) can result is thickening of the tissue (especially Logan has some on his lip area). If you get his 8 treatments and then go back once a year to get a touch up, see what's new, watch for tissue growing, you will keep this flat but you will likely NOT get it to be "gone" since it is confluent or SOLID which means it is deep. At the conference in October we are going to hear about a new heating device that will enable the lasers to reach the deeper vessels and thus allow for clearance (or more clearance) on stains like your son has. If you can go to the conference, you can get videos. Also, the videos being sold on our website from the last conference talk about this and are well worth the investment.

Linda Rozell-Shannon
VBF President/Founder
hvbf@aol.com

feel free to write to me if you have more questions

#15 07-05-2005, 02:18 PM

Thanks for all the advice. I do have one question. You mention that the first 8 treatments are the best results that I will get and to have maintenance treatments once a year, does it matter how far spread apart his first eight treatments are? I know that you can go every 8 weeks but so far we have gone every 3 to 3 1/2 months. He has had 4 treatments so far.

If anyone out there has any advice I would really appreciate it.

Thanks

#16 07-05-2005, 11:50 PM

Nancy, I failed to ask you if Logan has been seen by a pediatric opthamologist. His stain passes all three zones (V1, 2 and 3..a tiny bit) and so he should have his eye checked for increased pressure to rule out glaucoma. It is a precaution for ruling out SWS when the stain is near an eye like Logan's is. Remember, doctors are NOT taught how to diagnose and treat these lesions in medical school. You'll never find any two to agree on what to do. That's why VBF and the MSN group were started, to give parents accurate information to prevent any future problems. I would feel a lot better if you would email Logan's picture to our Ask the SWS expert, Dr. Comi and got her opinion on if Logan needs his eye checked and if he should get an MRI to rule out anything else in the head area that could be related. You are doing a great job staying on top of the stain, but the other issues also need to be evaluated.

Linda Shannon
President/Founder
hvbf@aol.com

#17 07-06-2005, 01:05 PM

Logan does currently see a Pediatric Opthamologist, his schedule is every 6 months now and so far so good. Also, regarding the MRI, when he was an infant and first saw a Pediatric Dermatologist regarding his PWS they determined by examining him that he did not need an MRI. Is it a good idea to get a second opinion? He has not showed any signs of having any problems. I need to do some research on SWS because I am not exactly sure what it is.

hankbartenbach · #18 07-07-2005, 10:53 PM

I would suggest either getting a second opinon or have one of his other doctors request the MRI with contrast just to make sure SWS is not present.

Hank

#19 07-09-2005, 03:15 AM

Nancy,
Hi. I would find a ped neuro that knows about SWS and have them to do a MRI with and without contrast. My son has a facial PWS and SWS. Austin has had several MRI's and he is 4 now. If you have any questions about SWS feel free to ask here or email me at mom2austinhunter@msn.com

Jinny