Lasers 101

In episode 21 of Cutaneous Miscellaneous, our host, Nicholas Brownstone, MD, chats with Rishi Chopra, MD, MS, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Union Derm in New York City who recently completed his fellowship in advanced laser surgery and cosmetic dermatology at Harvard Medical School. The episode begins with board review on lasers. Dr Chopra highlights which topics are high yield for the CORE exam and which are not. Dr Brownstone also discusses some board-relevant pearls and mnemonics for laser tattoo removal. In the main part of the episode, Dr Chopra explains basic laser principles including theory of selective photothermolysis, clinical endpoints, wavelengths, chromophores, pulse duration, fluence, and the importance of histology when selecting a specific laser. Dr Brownstone the asks Dr Chopra how residents and early career dermatologists can learn about and perform laser surgery in their practice. He specifically highlights which 3 lasers/energy-based devices new graduates should be comfortable with when first starting practice. The episode ends with Dr Chopra discussing the future of laser surgery and energy-based devices in cosmetic dermatology.