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Housecall Archives
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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Mayo Clinic Housecall
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By Mayo Clinic staffBefore scheduling ablative laser resurfacing, you need to meet with your doctor to determine whether this procedure is likely to work well for you. This meeting generally includes:
- Your medical history. Your doctor asks questions about conditions you have or have had, including problems with scarring or a history of keloids — ridged areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue. Also, your doctor asks about medications you're taking, such as isotretinoin (Accutane), which can increase your risk of scarring after laser resurfacing.
- A physical examination. Your doctor conducts a physical examination, including any lab tests, such as blood tests. He or she also inspects your skin and the area to be treated. The physical exam helps your doctor determine what changes need to be made and how your physical features — for example, the tone and thickness of your skin — may affect your results.
- A discussion of your expectations. You and your doctor talk about your motivations and expectations. He or she explains what laser resurfacing can and can't do for you and what your results might be.
Before surgery, you may also need to:
- Take an antiviral medication, such as acyclovir (Zovirax) or valacyclovir (Valtrex), to prevent a herpes virus infection. You may also need to take antibiotic medication, such as azithromycin (Zithromax), before and after laser resurfacing to help prevent a bacterial infection.
- Avoid direct sun exposure for up to two months before and a year after the procedure. Too much sun may cause permanent irregular coloration in your facial skin. Discuss sun protection, allowable sun exposure and other protective measures with your doctor.
- Depending on the extent of the procedure, make arrangements for the day of the surgery. For the first 24 hours after sedation, you may have lapses of memory, slowed reaction time and impaired judgment. Therefore, arrange for someone to drive you home if you're having an outpatient procedure that involves sedation.
References
- Tanzi EL, et al. Skin resurfacing: Ablative lasers, chemical peels and dermabrasion. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3007358. Accessed March 9, 2009.
- Roy D. Ablative facial resurfacing. Dermatologic Clinics. 2005;23:549.
- Alexiades-Armenakas MR, et al. The spectrum of laser skin resurfacing: Nonablative, fractional and ablative laser resurfacing. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2008;58:719.
- Skin rejuvenation and resurfacing. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Accessed March 9, 2009.
- Anesthesia and you. American Society of Anesthesiologists. http://www.asahq.org/patientEducation/anesandyou.htm. Accessed March 10, 2009.
- Phillips PK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 7, 2009.
