I Previously Asked About 1064 Venous Lake Recover & Unfortunately, It's Worse Than when I Started. Why? What Next? (photo)

Question

In Aug 2012 I asked about about the recovery period of Venous Lake 1064 laser treatment from Washington Institute of Dermatalogic Laser. Now, it's bigger, darker & bulging. By week 3/4, I thought it was going away & then by week 5 it got worse. I'm afraid to repeat the 1064 because it caused more harm than good. Would a Varilite or Alexandrite be effective? What about a Diode? What is the medical explanation around it looking worse, not better? scar tissue? trapped blood?

Robert F. Centeno, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. After three unsuccessful Laser treatments, excision may be the most effective treatment. The lip heals well without much scarring and you can be confident that the issue would be resolved. Sometimes technology isn't always the best answer. Good luck!

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

I wouldn't recommend laser treatments to treat a venous lake like yours. For any laser treatment like this sometimes it goes away with on treatment (rare), but usually a few sessions are needed. And frankly, sometimes, depending on how your body responds to the laser treatment, the venous lake can become bigger, not smaller. A minor, easy surgical procedure would have been much better for this, and the scar could have been hidden very easily. Since you didn't respond well to the first laser treatment, I'd suggest finding a dermatologist with a great deal of surgical experience and asking for a consultation to have this removed without a laser.

I Previously Asked About 1064 Venous Lake Recover & Unfortunately, It's Worse Than when I Started. Why? What Next? (photo)

Answers (2)