Effectiveness and safety of <i>Nd:YAG</i> laser versus <i>E-Light</i> technology in percutaneous coagulation of facial telangiectasias

BACKGROUND: One most modern method to correct telangiectasias is percutaneous coagulation. A large number of available devices, lack of optimized protocols and predictable results of procedures, make studying the effectiveness and safety of methods for correcting facial vascular pathologies a pressing issue today. AIM: To conduct a comparative analysis of the effectiveness and safety of removing facial telangiectasias using a neodymium laser with 1064 nm wavelength and 650 μs pulse width, and using a device based on E-Light technology (E-Light device), which represents the synergy of intense pulsed light (IPL) and radiofrequency (RF). METHODS: A prospective experimental randomized study was conducted. Each patient (n = 79) of two study groups underwent two sessions of laser obliteration of telangiectasias. The interval between procedures was 1 month. In group 1 (n = 39), obliteration was performed using a solid-state laser with neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet as an active medium (Nd:YAG laser), in group 2 (n = 40), an E-Light device was used. The study groups were comparable in gender (р = 0.818), age (р = 0.147) and the initial number of telangiectasias (р = 0.062). The patients were conducted macrophotography and dermatoscopy of facial vascular lesions. After each obliteration session, pain sensations of patients were assessed on Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULTS: The results of subjective pain assessment on VAS after each procedure showed a statistically significant differences between the groups: after the first and second obliteration sessions (р 0.0001), pain sensations were weaker in patients of group 1. Despite the absence of a statistically significant difference in the results in terms of the number of obliterated telangiectasias in the two groups (after the first obliteration session — р = 0.994, after the second obliteration session — р = 0.208), in group 1, 19.2% more telangiectasias have been cleared than in group 2. One patient (2.5%) of group 2 had hypopigmentation in the treated area 1 month after the second obliteration session. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of obliteration of facial telangiectasias with Nd:YAG laser in terms of reducing vascular malformations was 19.2% greater than when using a E-Light device. The use of a Nd:YAG laser for two sessions of facial telangiectasia obliteration was safer than that of E-Light device.