Question:
I have heard that treatment of port wine stains take many treatments spaced about 6 to 12 weeks apart. How long does this usually continue for?
Answer:
Typically, when treating children with port wine stains, we like to begin when the child reaches one year of age. We feel that it is safer for them to undergo a brief general anesthesia when they reach the year mark. Typically, we will treat the patient with the pulse dye laser every six to twelve weeks for the next year. Therefore, usually there can be anywhere from three to six treatments during the patient’s second year of life. From there, we assess the success and ethnicity of the treatments, and tailor a treatment regimen, based on additional needs.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.