UT Southwestern docs roll out new laser for cosmetic surgery

by PegNews wire

Technology demonstrator

When a press release touts the "deployment" of a new laser, my fevered brain (heavily influenced by yellow journalism and other less esoteric agents) conjures up images of Star Wars-worthy roof-mounted multi-barrel turret devices. But this story relates to a more mundane laser of the cosmetic surgical variety.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center plastic surgeons once again find themselves on the med-tech cutting edge (or at least their patients do) with the rolling out of a carbon dioxide-based fractional laser (CDBFL, or "Bob" for short), which "combines minute focused columns of laser-induced injury with heat deposition for less skin damage and quicker recovery time." (I think they're trying to tell us it both fries and bakes your skin simultaneously, kind of like a shorted-out EZ-Bake Oven.)

The UT Southwestern plasticos represent one of only two medical groups in the U.S. currently "deploying" the new device, which has already gone through initial testing and received FDA approval.

Dr. Jeffrey Kenkel, seen here playing Vanna White with one of the new wrinkle zappers, says: “Fractional lasers are like aerating your lawn, where you have a bunch of holes in your lawn, but you have normal lawn in between. This allows for more rapid healing because intact, normal skin bridges the gap between the laser-induced injured skin.” Thereby making the technology concept accessible to those of us who actually work on our lawns, or even have them.

"Honest, lady, you won't feel a thing."

Kenkel heads the Clinical Center for Cosmetic Laser Treatment, as well as holding the Chief of Plastic Surgery seat at the VA Medical Center in Dallas. According to Dr. Kenkel, he and his associates have seen a lot of new laser devices parading down the pike in recent years. They test them on tissue that (gulp!) has "either been removed from patients or that we plan on removing," he explains, "so we can determine what effect it’s going to have before we start treating patients clinically.” On skin that is intended to remain in place, presumably.

Procedures done with the new laser are office-based and outpatient, though they may require local anesthetic. A three- to five-day recovery period is typical for surgeries done with "Bob," and the cost can be anywhere from $500 to $2000 - about what you'd shell out to Lawn Doctor for a year of landscape maintenance, I'm guessing.

posted by JM