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. 2023 Apr 16;13(4):1025.
doi: 10.3390/life13041025.

Diode Laser Therapy for Radiation-Induced Vascular Ectasia: Long-Term Results and Cost Analysis

Lino Polese  1 , Emilia Giugliano  1 , Roberto Cadrobbi  1 , Deris Gianni Boemo  2
Affiliations

Diode Laser Therapy for Radiation-Induced Vascular Ectasia: Long-Term Results and Cost Analysis

Lino Polese et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Collateral damage to surrounding healthy tissues has been reported in patients who undergo radiation therapy for pelvic malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy and cost efficiency of endoscopic diode laser therapy in patients diagnosed with chronic radiation proctitis (CRP).

Methods: The data of 24 patients (median age 78, range 67-90 years) who presented rectal bleeding and were diagnosed with CRP after undergoing high-dose radiotherapy for prostatic cancer and underwent diode laser therapy were evaluated retrospectively. Non-contact fibers were used in the patients who underwent the procedure without sedation in an outpatient setting.

Results: The patients underwent a median of two sessions; overall, a mean of 1591 J of laser energy per session was used. No complications were noted during or after the procedures. Bleeding was completely resolved in 21/24 (88%) patients, and two patients showed improvement (96%). It was not necessary to suspend antiplatelet (six patients) or anticoagulant (four patients) therapy during the treatment course. The mean cost per session was EUR 473.4.

Conclusions: The study findings demonstrated that endoscopic non-contact diode laser treatment in CRP patients is safe, effective and cost efficient. For this procedure, antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy suspension, intraprocedural sedation and hospital admission are not required.

Keywords: diode laser; radiation proctitis; radiofrequency ablation; rectum; vascular ectasia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The affected rectum with RAVE.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Diode laser treatment of RAVE. The diode laser is applied to the mucosa until the tissue is whitened. The exposure time is about 1 s.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Diode laser: result at treatment conclusion.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The hemoglobin values of the patients before and after the diode laser treatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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