Question:
I did wonder whether to qualify it as I wrote it, but I was
thinking more of skin grafting, which I gather is fairly difficult in
such a case, because of the depth of the ink.
Split-thickness grafting might not work, but (depending on the site and
size) full-thickness excision with a rotation flap is not that difficult
(if you're a plastic surgeon).
Tattoo Removal Excision. IS it true?
Answer:
- True, if the tattoo is small, and your diagram demonstrates the
manoeuvre nicely [1]. However, one should at least tell the punter that
several sessions with a Q-switched laser will usually remove the tattoo
completely, or nearly completely (depending on such variables as ink
colour), with a low risk of scarring.
Laser tattoo removal as a therapeutic technique, will improve even
further as soon as "they" work out how to package a sufficiently
powerful sub-nanosecond-pulse-duration laser [2] into a sufficiently
small box, at a sufficiently non-bankruptcy-inducing price.
[1] ...except that you forgot to mark the foot positions in.
[2] Excellent summary of the latest advances in tattoo removal by Rox
Anderson, written last year for the Arch Derm website:
http://archderm.ama-assn.org/issues/v137n2/ffull/ded00010.html
Rox Anderson cowrote the single most oft-cited [3] paper on medical
lasers:
Anderson RR, Parrish JA. Selective photothermolysis: precise
microsurgery by selective absorption of pulsed radiation.
Science.1983;220:524-527. (There is a Medline link to this from [1])
Quote from the Arch Derm editorial: "I have never met a tattoo more
beautiful than the skin onto which it was placed." Personally, I think
this rather nicely sums up the anti-tattoo case.
[3] Dermatologic Surgery - precise citation upon request.
- Here, doc, I spent years in the conception, design and application of
this incredible backpiece; just take it off for me, willya?
