The Study on the Safety of General Anesthesia on Laser Treatment in Children

Lee, Jong Rok; Choi, Gwang Seong; Kim, Young Keun

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The earlier laser treatment of patients with nevus flammeus or Ota nevus prevent psychologic dysfunction due to unwanted cutaneous lesion and the increasing size of lesion.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to assess the safety and side effect of general anesthesia in the laser treatment of nevus flammeus or Ota nevus in children.
METHODS
25 children treated with laser for nevus flammeus or Ota nevus and underwent general anesthetic modality were included in this study. The age of patients, the size and the location of cutaneous lesions were noted. Most of children, after induction of anesthesia with thiopental and succinycholine, were maintained airway with intratracheal intubation. Some of children was done with intravenous anesthesia, propofol or ketamine. The results of laser treatment were assessed by photograph and clinical observation, based on a scale: excellent for 75-100% improvement, good for 50-75% improvement, fair for 25-50% improvement, poor for 0-25% improvement.
RESULTS
25 children treated with laser for nevus flammeus or Ota nevus were below 10 years old, eight of them were below 3 years old. The laser treatment was more effective in proportion with the number of laser treatment. After general anesthesia, all patients with laser treatment didn't appear the side effect of laryngeal spasm or apnea etc. Our data showed minimal risk and sequale of general anesthesia in the treatment of nevus flammeus or Ota nevus in children.
CONCLUSION
The use of general anesthesia in the treatment of nevus flammeus or Ota nevus in children does not appear to be accompanied by increased risk.