Treatment FAQ

why do sws need laser treatment

by Liza Schmitt Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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What is laser therapy used for?

Laser therapy may be used to: shrink or destroy tumors, polyps, or precancerous growths relieve symptoms of cancer

What are the benefits of laser surgery?

In medicine, lasers allow surgeons to work at high levels of precision by focusing on a small area, damaging less of the surrounding tissue. If you have laser therapy, you may experience less pain, swelling, and scarring than with traditional surgery.

Can laser therapy be used cosmetically?

For cancer, laser therapy is usually used alongside other treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. Laser therapy is also used cosmetically to: Who shouldn’t have laser therapy? Some laser surgeries, such as cosmetic skin and eye surgeries, are considered elective surgeries.

What are the complications of SWS (SWS)?

Blood vessels on the same side of the brain as the stain may also be affected. A large number of people with SWS experience seizures or convulsions. Other complications may include increased pressure in the eye, developmental delays, and weakness on one side of the body. The medical term for SWS is encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis.

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What is the treatment for Sturge-Weber syndrome?

Treatment for Sturge-Weber syndrome is symptomatic. Laser treatment may be used to lighten or remove the birthmark. Anticonvulsant medications may be used to control seizures. Persons with drug-resistant seizures may be treated by surgical removal of epileptic brain tissue.

How many laser treatments does it take to remove port-wine stains?

Multiple treatments are the norm, and most patients require eight to ten treatments or more for optimal results.

Can Sturge-Weber be cured?

Sturge-Weber is a lifelong condition that can't be cured. However, treatment of symptoms can help prevent complications and improve your child's quality of life. Seizures: In many cases, seizures can be controlled with anti-seizure medications.

Can laser remove port-wine stains?

Laser treatment, with a pulsed dye laser, is currently the treatment of choice for fading a port wine stain. It may also help the 'cobblestone' effect that can develop in adulthood.

Can port-wine stains become cancerous?

Nonmelanoma skin cancer is known to develop in port-wine stains, most commonly basal cell carcinoma. The range of skin cancer types known to arise in these malformations can be expanded to include melanoma in situ.

Is laser treatment for port-wine stain painful?

Undergoing Port-Wine Stain Laser Treatment “The laser feels like a quick pinch, or a shot with a rubber band,” Kevin said. “After the procedure, it feels like sunburn a bit while it's bruised. But after a few days or a week, all pain is gone.”

Is Sturge-Weber syndrome life threatening?

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a congenital disorder that affects the skin, the neurological system, and sometimes the eyes. There is no cure, but it is not fatal. Other names include encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis, encephalofacial angiomatosis, or Sturge-Weber-Dimitri syndrome.

Does Sturge-Weber get worse?

Outlook. Sturge-Weber syndrome is a slowly progressive condition. This is because the abnormal blood vessels affect the blood supply to the brain. As the person gets older, the blood flow to the brain through the abnormal blood vessels can become less.

Is Sturge-Weber syndrome a disability?

The seizures usually involve only one side of the brain (focal seizures), during which the port-wine birthmark may darken and individuals may lose consciousness. People with Sturge-Weber syndrome have varying levels of cognitive function, from normal intelligence to intellectual disability.

Do port-wine stains get worse with age?

Signs and symptoms of port wine stains The colour often becomes a darker, purple colour with age. They may become thick and lumpy after many years. They vary in size from small to large body regions.

Why are babies born with port-wine stains?

It is almost always a birthmark. It is caused by abnormal development of tiny blood vessels. Usually port-wine stains are found from birth in newborn babies. They are formed because the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the skin are too big (dilated).

Why does port-wine stain cause glaucoma?

Sometimes a port-wine birthmark on the eyelids creates pressure inside the eye. This is called glaucoma. If it's not treated, it can lead to loss of vision. Eye doctors use medicines, lasers, and other treatments to reduce the pressure.

What is laser therapy?

Laser therapies are medical treatments that use focused light. Unlike most light sources, light from a laser (which stands for l ight a mplification by s timulated e mission of r adiation) is tuned to specific wavelengths. This allows it to be focused into powerful beams. Laser light is so intense that it can be used to shape diamonds or cut steel.

How does laser light work?

In medicine, lasers allow surgeons to work at high levels of precision by focusing on a small area, damaging less of the surrounding tissue.

What is the procedure to laser treat a tumor?

Laser therapy techniques vary based on the procedure. If a tumor is being treated, an endoscope (a thin, lighted, flexible tube) may be used to direct the laser and view tissues inside the body. The endoscope is inserted through an opening in the body , such as the mouth.

What is the purpose of argon lasers?

Argon lasers also make shallow cuts and can be used to activate photosensitizing (light-activated) drugs during photodynamic therapy. This type of cancer treatment combines light with chemotherapy to kill more cancer cells.

How much does laser eye surgery cost?

stroke. Treatments can also be expensive and are therefore not accessible to everyone. Laser eye surgery can cost anywhere from $600 to $8,000 or more based on your healthcare plan and the provider or facility you use for your surgery.

Can you urinate after laser prostate surgery?

For example, if you have laser prostate surgery, you may need to wear a urinary catheter. This can aid in urinating right after the surgery. If you received therapy on your skin, you may experience swelling, itching, and rawness around the treated area.

Can laser surgery cause scarring?

If you have laser therapy, you may experience less pain, swelling, and scarring than with traditional surgery. However, laser therapy can be expensive and require repeated treatments.

What tests are done to check for SWS?

If your child’s doctor suspects that your child may have SWS, they’ll order imaging tests, such as CT and MRI scans. These tests produce detailed images of the brain, allowing the doctor to look for signs of brain damage. They’ll also perform eye tests to check for the presence of glaucoma and other eye abnormalities.

When does SWS start?

The blood vessel formations associated with SWS start when a baby is in the womb. Around the sixth week of development, a network of nerves develops around the area that will become a baby’s head. Normally, this network goes away in the ninth week of development.

Can port wine cause SWS?

Not everyone with a port-wine stain has SWS, but all children with SWS have a port-wine stain. A child must have the port-wine stain and abnormal blood vessels in the brain on the same side as the stain to be diagnosed with SWS. In some children, abnormal vessels don’t cause any symptoms.

How to treat Sturge Weber syndrome?

Treatment for Sturge-Weber syndrome is symptomatic. Laser treatment may be used to lighten or remove the birthmark. Anticonvulsant medications may be used to control seizures. Persons with drug-resistant seizures may be treated by surgical removal of epileptic brain tissue.

What is the best treatment for glaucoma?

Surgery may be performed on more serious cases of glaucoma. Physical therapy should be considered for infants and children with muscle weakness. Educational therapy is often prescribed for those with impaired cognition or developmental delays. Doctors recommend yearly monitoring for glaucoma.

How often do you need a YAG laser?

YAG laser treatments are typically only needed once as the capsule does not regrow after it is vaporised by the YAG. Complications after YAG laser are very rare but can include vitreous floaters, raised eye pressure, retinal swelling, lens damage and very rarely retinal detachment. gif (1×1)

What is a yag laser?

The YAG laser is the laser used to clear the frosting from the back surface of an intraocular lens. YAG laser treatment is painless and is completed from outside the eye in a few minutes. During YAG laser treatment your eye doctor may use a magnifying contact lens to help with aiming the YAG laser at the layer of frosting.

Can you see a clicking sound with a YAG laser?

During the treatment patients will see flashes of light and hear a clicking sound. The pupil needs to be dil ated before YAG laser can be performed to allow a good view of the lens surface. After the treatment your doctor will prescribe a short course of anti-inflammatory and pressure drops.

What is Slow Wave Sleep?

Slow wave sleep is also known as deep sleep –it is the stage of sleep when your body is in its most restful state. Your brainwaves are the slowest during SWS, and when monitored with an EEG their activity is synchronized. During this time your heart rate and respiratory rate decrease significantly, and your muscles relax as well.

What is the function of slow wave sleep & why is it important?

Slow wave sleep is when your body physically restores itself. Roughly 95% of human growth hormone is produced during this stage of sleep. A common misconception people have is that you get stronger when you’re at the gym or while you’re exercising, but that is not the case.

How much slow wave sleep is normal?

Most adults typically spend 15-25% of their time asleep in SWS, which translates to about an hour or two per night. Here are the average sleep times (and percentages) by stage for all WHOOP members.

How to get more slow wave sleep

For the most part, anything you can do to better your sleep hygiene overall will most likely extend your time spent in the slow wave sleep stage. The easiest thing you can do is just devote more time to being in bed. Here are 5 simple ways to improve your sleep.

Track Your Slow Wave Sleep with WHOOP

WHOOP tracks your sleep in detail and tells you exactly how much time you spend in SWS and each of the other stages of sleep. The app features a Sleep Coach which uses your natural circadian rhythm to recommend daily bed and wake times to maximize the quality of your sleep.

Mark Van Deusen

Mark Van Deusen is the Content Manager at WHOOP. Before joining WHOOP, Mark served as the Managing Editor and Head Writer for CelticsLife.com. He was also a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a contributor at Yahoo Sports.

What temperature does SWS gas cool?

Ammonium carbonate and bicarbonate will sublime from the SWS off-gas in the temperature range 55-75°C (130-167°F). When the gas cools excessively, a solid forms that fouls instruments, control valves and lines.

What is the challenge of sour water stripping?

Challenge 1: Fouling. Sour water stripping is considered ‘fouling service’ and thus it is generally recommended that fouling-resistant trays be installed in the column. In some instances, improved run time has been achieved by replacing conventional trays with fouling-resistant trays1 and installing bypasses around individual feed/effluent ...

Why do doctors use SLT?

Some doctors try eye drops first to reduce intraocular pressure. Other doctors are willing to give SLT a try first. The better option ultimately depends on the individual and their needs. If compliance with eye drops is a concern, SLT might be considered as an initial treatment.

What does SLT do to the eye?

During SLT, the doctor directs laser energy to the eye’s drainage tissue. This initiates a biological and chemical change in the tissue. This results in fluid draining better, so it is not accumulating in the eye. As excess fluid drains from the eye, it causes intraocular pressure to decrease.

What is SLT in glaucoma?

If eye drops and oral medications are not successfully lowering the eye pressure, a doctor might discuss selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) with the patient. This can also be used as the first treatment for glaucoma.

How long does intraocular pressure stay elevated after SLT?

The doctor can prescribe topical medications to control the temporary increase in eye pressure. This side effect typically goes away within about 24 hours following SLT.

How long does it take for SLT to work?

As excess fluid drains from the eye, it causes intraocular pressure to decrease. It can take approximately one to three months for the results to become apparent. If one treatment does not lower the intraocular pressure enough, SLT can be repeated. This is because the laser used for the procedure does not burn.

How effective is glaucoma treatment?

This can also be used as the first treatment for glaucoma. When it is used as an initial treatment, it reduces the intraocular pressure by approximately 30 percent. Other research shows that this treatment is effective about 80 percent of the time.

How do prostaglandins reduce eye pressure?

Prostaglandins reduce eye pressure by increasing the flow of fluid from the eye. Alpha-adrenergic agonists increase eye fluid outflow and reduce eye fluid production. Beta blockers lower eye pressure by decreasing eye fluid production.

How long does a laser work?

Dr. Asrani says in his experience, the laser typically works for at least two years. “For some patients, it lasts 18 months,” he says. “For others, it’s three to four years. In any case, I try to underpromise and overdeliver, so I tell my patients that we may have to repeat it in 18 to 24 months.

When was the Glaucoma Laser Trial conducted?

But there are numerous other reasons to consider offering it to your patients as well. Those include: The Glaucoma Laser Trial conducted in the 1980s and ’90s compared primary argon laser trabeculoplasty to primary topical timolol. The laser showed better long-term IOP control.3.

What percentage of SLT patients have pressure spikes?

“The first kind of post-laser spike happens randomly to about 15 or 20 percent of SLT laser patients,” he notes. “It’s usually short-lived, and we have no way of predicting who’s going to spike.

What is the best treatment for glaucoma?

Topical drops are still the favored primary glaucoma treatment, but there’s plenty of reason to reconsider. When treating glaucoma, most doctors have traditionally been taught to start with medications. If topical drops fail to achieve the desired reduction in intraocular pressure, then clinicians typically try laser trabeculoplasty, ...

Why do surgeons use drops?

Clearly, one reason surgeons often favor starting with drops is that many patients are put off by the idea of using a laser on their eyes. “In my experience, most patients will say that the laser sounds ‘a little dangerous,’ ” says Dr. Lin. “That’s ironic, because it’s one of the safest things we can do.”.

Does SLT help with glaucoma?

• SLT’s pressure-lowering isn’t as great in normal-tension glaucoma patients, but it may still make a difference. “Most doctors will tell you that SLT doesn’ t lower the pressure very much in normal-tension glaucoma patients,” says Dr. Lin.

Can you titrate power for pigmentary glaucoma?

However, Dr. Asrani believes that pigmentary glaucoma isn’t necessarily a contraindication. “If you can titrate the power when treating pigmentary glaucoma you can avoid a pressure spike and get fairly good pressure lowering,” he says. “In the past I was hesitant to do this, but no longer.

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Signs and symptoms

Epidemiology

  • The medical term for SWS is encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, SWS occurs in one of every estimated 20,000 to 50,000 live births. Approximately one in 1,000 babies are born with a port-wine stain. However, only 6 percent of those babies have symptoms associated with SWS. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, 8…
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Symptoms

  • The most apparent indication of SWS is a port-wine stain, or red and discolored skin on one side of the face. The discoloration is due to dilated blood vessels in the face that make the skin appear reddened. In some children, abnormal vessels dont cause any symptoms. In others, they can cause the following symptoms: SWS can affect children in different ways. Some children may ex…
See more on healthline.com

Cause

  • Though SWS is present at birth, it isnt an inherited condition. Instead, its the result of a random mutation in the GNAQ gene. The blood vessel formations associated with SWS start when a baby is in the womb. Around the sixth week of development, a network of nerves develops around the area that will become a babys head. Normally, this network goes away in the ninth week of devel…
See more on healthline.com

Diagnosis

  • Doctors can often diagnose SWS based on the symptoms that are present. Babies with SWS may not always be born with the characteristic port-wine stain. However, they often develop the birthmark shortly after birth. If your childs doctor suspects that your child may have SWS, theyll order imaging tests, such as CT and MRI scans. These tests produce detailed images of the brai…
See more on healthline.com

Treatment

  • Treatment for SWS can vary depending on the symptoms a child is experiencing. It may consist of: If your child wishes to reduce the appearance of a port-wine stain, laser treatments may be used. Its important to note, however, that these treatments may not completely remove the birthmark.
See more on healthline.com

Pathophysiology

  • Most children with SWS have a port-wine stain and brain abnormalities that affect only one side of the brain. In some children, however, both sides of the brain may be affected. These children are more likely to experience developmental delays and cognitive impairment.
See more on healthline.com

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