MONDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Pulsed-dye laser is an effective treatment for facial skin discoloration from ecchymoses following cosmetic surgery, according to a report in the March/April issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.

Robert J. DeFatta, M.D., Ph.D., Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y., and colleagues performed pulsed-dye laser treatments on 20 consecutive patients with ecchymoses. Clinical photographs taken before and after treatment were evaluated by three blinded independent observers and graded on a 0 to 3 scale (no ecchymoses, minimal, moderate and severe).

The pulsed-dye laser treatment demonstrated a 63 percent mean improvement in ecchymoses scores within two to three days after treatment with mild edema and discomfort as the only side effect. The laser treatment delivered maximum effect when performed between five and 10 days after the original surgery, the researchers report.

"Further research of this interesting application of the pulsed-dye laser may be needed before its widespread use for treatment of ecchymoses. Future applications may include routine treatment of ecchymoses after filler injections, postsurgically on other areas of the body and after trauma," the authors write.

Candela Laser Corporation, the manufacturer of the pulsed-dye laser equipment, provided a grant to support the research.

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