An 810 nm diode laser in the treatment of small (< or = 1.0 mm) leg veins: a preliminary assessment.

A consistently effective treatment for small leg veins (< or = 1.0 mm) is still being sought. The efficacy of an 810 nm diode laser in vein removal was assessed in a preliminary study. Fifteen females, skin types I to III, vein diameters 0.5-1 mm, aged from 25 to 42 years, participated in the study. An 810 nm diode laser (90 W, 20 ms/pulse, 10 Hz rep rate, 4.0 mm hand piece) was applied along the target veins. Biopsies were taken from two patients before and after the first treatment session. No compression was applied post-treatment. Four weeks later, a second treatment was given. Results were assessed subjectively from the patients' satisfaction index (SI) and objectively from clinical photography done by an independent clinician, who also judged the venous morphology before and 4 weeks after the second session. All patients completed the trial. Pain was moderate to severe at the time of treatment and erythema which was mild, which was seen in all 15 patients; oedema occurred in 12 patients and blistering in only one. No scarring was noticed. The overall satisfaction indices at the 4- and 8-week assessments were 20.7% and 55.1%, respectively. No patient got worse. The objective evaluations at the 4- and 8-week assessments showed increasing improvement in all aspects examined. Pain at the time of treatment was a problem for all patients, so epidermal cooling should be added. Despite this, the 810 laser diode was an interesting and promising device for treatment of small leg veins, warranting further study in larger patient cohorts with a longer-term follow up.