CO2 Laser Ablation of the Capillary Hemangioma of the Lip

By Robert Levine, DDS; and Peter Vitruk, PhD, MInstP, CPhys

Commercial Supporter: Benco Dental

The closeness between coagulation depth and oral soft-tissue blood capillary diameters makes the 10,600-nm CO2 laser a precise and efficient photo-thermal ablation tool with excellent coagulation efficiency. Hemangiomas always present a challenge for an oral surgeon due to their vascular nature and may pose a serious bleeding risk. Various surgical methods have been used to treat hemangioma of the lip (scalpel, cryosurgery, electrocautery, pulsed dye laser, Nd:YAG laser, diode laser, and CO2 laser). We consider the flexible fiber 10,600-nm CO2 laser a minimally invasive and typically suture-free surgical modality. It is, in many respects, superior to most of the alternative treatment options. Because of the excellent hemostasis it provides and the minimal damage it causes to the surrounding tissues, a CO2 laser is especially well suited for hemangiomas and other vascular lesions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Define capillary hemangioma and pinpoint its clinical and histological features

• Briefly compare the existing treatment options for capillary hemangioma.

• Introduce the CO2 laser surgery as an effective treatment modality for vascular lesions, such as capillary hemangioma of the lip.​​

• Discuss in detail the surgical removal of the capillary hemangioma of the lip with the CO2 laser.

About the Authors

Dr. Levine is the director of laser dentistry and clinical director of the AEGD post- graduate program at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health in Mesa, Arizona, providing clinical hands-on training to den- tal students and postgraduate residents. He is the founder and president of Global Laser Oral Health, LLC, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is also the co-developer of the first accepted laser curriculum at an accredited US dental school.

Dr. Vitruk is on the faculty of Global Laser Oral Health, LLC, in Scottsdale, Arizona, as well as the faculty of the California Implant Institute in San Diego, California. He is the founder of LightScalpel, LLC, in Woodinville, Washington, the only American-based designer and manufac- turer of surgical CO2 lasers for the small-office outpatient market. Dr. Vitruk has authored 10 patents and more than 20 articles on CO2 lasers, and is a member of The Institute of Physics (UK), and a member of the Academy of Laser Dentistry (United States).