CO2 laser⁄radiofrequency device in dermatology - laser fibers

Keywords:laser, fibers, -, medical, fibers,  Time:29-02-2016

Over the last decade, an increasing demand for skin rejuvenation treatments has made it possible to treat many purely aesthetic skin and mucosa lesions more safely and effectively. CO2 laser has not only become the most widely used laser in dermatological surgical practice1–8, but it has also proved its effectiveness in treating aesthetic imperfections. Fractional photothermolysis has recently been introduced in laser technology, giving rise to new applications of CO2 laser.9–13 It was developed by Mainstein14 in 2004 for non-ablative lasers and therefore applied to ablative lasers like the CO2(10600 nm), Er:YAG (2940 nm) and Er:YSSG (2790 nm). The use of the fractional CO2 laser fiber technique usually results in faster healing and reduced downtime, minimizing any side-effects.15–19 The latest challenge has been the diversification of the choice of pulses for ensuring accurate pulse shape management. With this strategy, more effective and varied biological effects can be induced in the tissue, stimulating the dermis to produce new collagen, naturally regenerating the texture and enhancing skin tone and softness.20 For the last 5 years, bipolar radiofrequency devices have been considered noninvasive instruments, able to stimulate the deeper dermis in a non-ablative manner.21–28 Nowadays, only a few devices combine the effect of radiofrequency with laser or light energy in a unique tool capable of targeting lesions requiring surgical ablation, as well as aesthetical imperfections such as fine lines, wrinkles, pigment alterations, and skin laxity that have to be reduced or completely removed. The purpose of our study is to examine the efficacy and safety of this novel device combining fractional CO2 laser and radiofrequency in different fields of dermatological, surgical and aesthetic treatment.

A total of 79 patients, 52 women and 27 men, mean age 61.2 (range 37–75 years), fitzpatrick skin types I–IV, mainly I–II, were treated in our Outpatient Service using SmartXide2 DOT⁄RF (DEKA-M.E.L.A., Calenzano, Italy) for a maximum of 5 months. The study design was approved by the local Institutional Review Board in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration, and the patients were enrolled after obtaining a detailed personal history (skin type, clinical symptoms, health conditions, previous medications, life-style) and informed consent for treatment.