American Association of Plastic Surgeons

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A Decade In Focus: Examining Lessons Learned From Laser And Light-based Device Procedures In An Academic Practice
Bhavana Thota, BS, Vidhya Nadarajan, BS, Anca Dogaroiu, MS, Lauren Kim, BS, Amor Niksic, BS, Victoria Peters, BS, Jennifer Barillas, BS, John Hoopman, CMLSO, Jeffrey Kenkel, MD.
UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA.

PURPOSE: The utilization of laser and other energy-based devices in aesthetic plastic surgery has grown significantly. The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in patient demographics and procedure types, outcomes, and complications of a single plastic surgeon’s 10-year experience with energy-based devices. Additionally, this study aimed to quantify the crossover between patients receiving energy-based device procedures and patients receiving aesthetic surgery.METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis utilizing internal/departmental records and Epic charting from January 2013 to January 2023. Laser and other-energy based device cases were captured using select CPT-codes and patient demographics, procedural details, and complications were recorded.
RESULTS: 632 patients with 1,693 unique encounters were assessed. The study population was predominantly female (85.76%) and Fitzpatrick Skin Type III was most common (n = 231, 36.55%). Intense Pulsed Light (n = 907, 47.61%) was the most frequently used device followed by the 2940 nm (n = 313, 16.43%) and 532 nm (n = 293, 15.38%) lasers. Minor complications included edema (n = 16) and hyperemia (n = 11), while severe complications were infrequent. 0.95% of patients receiving energy-based device treatments went on to receive an aesthetic surgical procedure and 0.79% of patients undergoing aesthetic surgery went on to receive an energy-based device treatment.CONCLUSION: Lasers and other energy-based devices are safe with low complication rates when utilized by an experienced provider. While there is no clear crossover between patients receiving energy-based device treatments and aesthetic surgery, energy-based device procedures are a useful adjunct in managing patients’ aesthetic concerns.
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