Will 10 Month Old Need to Be Sedated to Treat Cherry Angioma Under Eye w/ PDL Laser?

No sedation necessary to treat a cherry angioma on a 10 month old. Just a couple of nurses to hold the child and eye wear to protect the eyes. The procedure does hurt, but it can be done so quickly. The parent can be there during the procedure to help hold and comfort the baby.

Well there are a couple of issues here. First, most angiomas of infancy resolve spontaneously so a small angioma probably does not even need to be treated. However if the lesion is growing, has ulcerated or is causing impairment of the visual field then treatment is indicated. Often topical anesthetic cream will be enough to numb a small lesion so sedation is not necessary before laser.   Also, there is very good data that treatment with the drug propranolol will cause many angiomas to go away and laser treatment may not even be needed.

Before you rush to have a treatment performed on your baby go for a consultation with someone you trust. The Cherry Angioma may go away on its own, fade, and reduce in size. The change depends on the depth of the blood vessels. They may even close as she grows and having the treatment would have been a waste of time and money. Generally we tell patients to wait until the child is 8-10 years old before having this type of treatment.

Should you feel strongly, as mentioned go for a consultation. Should the doctor determine that for some reason the treatment should be done right away, the area would most probably be frozen. The consultation should be with a board certified cosmetic doctor or dermatologist who you trust. They will give you the honest answers for your unique situation. Any esthetic tool needs to be in the right hands, to achieve the best possible results.

A cherry angioma is a very small vascular spot and treatment with the pulsed dye laser is safe, effective and usually a "one-shot-deal" -- no sedation is required.  Typically, the baby can be restrained for just a few seconds in a papoose or held in the arms of his/her parents or guardians.  It is important to protect the baby's eyes, which are covered with goggles or a blindfold.  It is normal that the baby may cry during the procedure, but it is over very quickly and at 10 months old, the child will never remember the experience.