Removing A Wen With A Laser: Pros And Cons

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Removal of wen by laser

A fatty tissue (atheroma) is a benign formation resulting from blockage of the excretory duct of the sebaceous gland and the accumulation of secretions in its cavity. Fat tends to grow slowly, it forms on areas of the body rich in sebaceous glands (between the shoulder blades, in the lower part of the face, behind the ears, on the scalp and genitals), and never occurs where they are not (on the palms and feet). On palpation, the wen is dense and elastic, painless, has clear contours, may be lighter than the surrounding skin, and a black dot is usually noticeable on its surface - a clogged mouth of the sebaceous gland. Most often, wen does not cause unpleasant sensations until it becomes large (up to 5 cm in diameter or more) and becomes inflamed as a result of injury.

Content:

• Benefits of laser surgery
• Indications for laser enucleation of a wen
• Contraindications to laser removal of a wen
• Features of the procedure
• Post-operative care

The word "wen" can mean other pathologies similar in symptoms - first of all, lipoma. This is a soft, hilly benign tumor that can be located much deeper than atheroma and take on gigantic proportions. The skin above its surface does not differ in a different shade and is able to gather in a fold, which cannot be said about atheroma. In very rare cases, the lipoma is spilled, that is, without a capsule. Even less often, this tumor is transformed into a liposarcoma - a malignant neoplasm of adipose and connective tissue.

Usually the patient turns to a specialist in laser surgery to remove an aesthetically unattractive formation on the face or open areas of the body, which is precisely an atheroma - a sebaceous gland cyst. There are several ways to eliminate such wen, each technique has advantages and disadvantages. The safest and most effective at the modern level of development of medicine is the laser removal of a wen.

Benefits of laser surgery

The laser removal technique has many advantages over other treatments for wen.

Advantages of laser removal of neoplasms:

• During the operation, bleeding is excluded, because simultaneously with the removal of the capsule, vascular coagulation occurs;
• The introduction of a bacterial infection is also excluded, because the laser scalpel has a disinfecting effect;
• The risk of developing edema and hematoma is minimized, because the laser knife does not have a mechanical effect, that is, it does not touch the tissues at the site of localization of the wen;
• The contents of the wen are removed along with the capsule, so the likelihood of recurrence is zero;
• The duration of laser surgery to remove a small wen is 10-20 minutes;
• There are no postoperative scars and scars on the skin;
• The intensity of the laser beam is carefully controlled, so injury to healthy tissue is excluded;
• There is no pain or discomfort during the operation;
• The patient is allowed to go home on the same day, the wound healing occurs very quickly;
• The capsule of the wen, along with the contents, is sent to the laboratory for histological examination and differential diagnosis;
• Laser removal of a wen from the scalp does not require shaving of hair.

With the use of laser surgery, it is much easier to remove small fatty tumors than bulky lesions. Traces of destruction of a small tumor disappear in 2-3 days, while excision of a large wen can leave a noticeable mark.

Indications for laser enucleation of a wen

Spontaneous disappearance of the wen is impossible, its cells cannot dissolve. An attempt to independently remove the formation leads to its infection and rapid growth. It is better not to delay the visit to the doctor, timely diagnose and remove the wen. A lesion on the face, eyelids, neck or behind the ears can be removed bloodlessly, painlessly and quickly with a laser knife.

Indications for the use of laser surgery:

• The small size of the wen (up to 2-3 cm in diameter), since it is preferable to remove large wen by the traditional surgical method;
• The desire to ensure that the postoperative scar was invisible after the destruction of the fatty tissue on the open parts of the body;
• Increased tumor growth;
• The appearance of pain;
• Rubbing with clothes, regular injury to the wen;
• Increased risk of malignancy (transformation into a malignant tumor).

Contraindications to laser removal of a wen

Like any technique, laser surgery has contraindications:

• Diabetes;
• Epilepsy;
• HIV;
• Infectious diseases;
• The presence of a malignant tumor or the presence of atypical cells in the tissues of the wen;
• Weakness of the immune system;
• Large diameter or deep tumor growth;
• Reduced blood clotting;
• Inflammation of the tissues of the formation, hyperemia, fever.

The large size and suppuration of the tumor are significant contraindications; the method of traditional surgery is used to remove such wen.

Features of the procedure

No special preparation for the operation to remove the wen with a laser is required, all tests from the patient are taken according to the standard method. It is performed by a dermato-oncologist or surgeon.

Laser removal of a wen is carried out on a special chair or on a conventional operating table. The patient's eyes are protected with glasses or a bandage intended for this. The operating field is treated with an antiseptic, and anesthetic is injected around the wen.

A laser scalpel is used to cut the skin over the wen. In this case, coagulation of damaged blood vessels occurs. The edges of the wound are spread apart, the capsule of the wen is grasped with forceps and brought to the surface of the wound. Then the capsule is husked with a laser knife, destroying all possible residues.

After removing a small wen, suturing is not required on the wound, however, the incision after excision of large formations is sutured with catgut - a self-absorbing thread. After antiseptic treatment, a sterile bandage is applied to the postoperative wound.

For the operation, local anesthesia is sufficient, the whole procedure lasts no more than half an hour. The destruction of multiple wen may require the introduction of general anesthesia and take longer.

At the end of the operation, the patient goes home on his own. Relapses of the wen are possible, although they occur very rarely. A highly professional surgeon will help to avoid such consequences.

Post-operative care

During the rehabilitation period, the patient is prohibited from engaging in heavy physical labor and active sports. This condition is especially important to observe after removal of large-diameter wen or multiple formations. When caring for your skin, you should not use low-quality cosmetics, swim in open water. It is advisable not to be in direct sunlight, to avoid visiting baths and saunas.

The wound usually heals within 2 to 3 weeks. If edema, hyperemia, and the development of a purulent process appear, consult a doctor. He will prescribe drugs for antiseptic treatment of postoperative wounds and relief of inflammation.

Laser removal of a wen is the most effective and painless method of destruction of a neoplasm with a minimum risk of recurrence.

The author of the article: Volkov Dmitry Sergeevich | c. m. n. surgeon, phlebologist

Education: Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry (1996). In 2003, he received a diploma from the Educational and Scientific Medical Center of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation.