LASER ERBIUM-YAG RESURFACING

Course overview

ERBIUM-DOPED YTTRIUM-ALUMINUM-GARNET (ER:YAG) LASER SKIN RESURFACING IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF MANAGING A NUMBER OF CUTANEOUS CONDITIONS AND LESIONS. ITS MAIN INDICATIONS INCLUDE TREATMENT OF PHOTOAGING, RHYTIDS, AND BENIGN AND MALIGNANT CUTANEOUS LESIONS. FOR MANY YEARS, CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) LASERS (WAVELENGTH 10,600 NM) WERE THE ONLY LASERS AVAILABLE FOR LASER SKIN REJUVENATION; NOWADAYS, THERE ARE MANY MORE OPTIONS, INCLUDING THE SOLID-STATE ERBIUM-DOPED YTTRIUM ALUMINUM GARNET ER:YAG (2,940 NM), DIODE (810 AND 940 NM), AND ERBIUM:GLASS LASERS (1,540 AND 1,550 NM). THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE INDICATIONS AND TECHNIQUE FOR ER:YAG LASER FACIAL RESURFACING AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WHO UNDERGO ER:YAG LASER TREATMENTS.