Skip to content

Laser Treatment Centre

Bedford Laser Treatment Centre is an established purpose built laser centre situated at Bedford Hospital. The centre is situated in the admin block of the hospital, near the Committee Room and offers advice on treatment for a wide range of skin conditions for both children and adults.

Laser Treatment Centre

Adult Conditions

The scope and application of laser therapy for skin conditions is constantly widening. The following cases can be referred to the department:

Vascular Conditions

  • port-wine stains
  • strawberry naevus (early and late cases)
  • spider naevi; telangiectasia; poikiloderma of Civatte
  • Pigmented Conditions
  • cafe-au-lait macules
  • naevus of Ota
  • solar lentigo
  • minocycline pigmentation

Tattoos

  • amateur and professional blue-black tattoos
  • accidental and traumatic tattoos

Scar Conditions

  • persistent red scars
  • acne scarring

Miscellaneous

  • xanthelasma
  • seborrheic warts
  • viral warts
  • syringomas

Ageing Skin

  • photoageing, fine wrinkles

Cancers

  • melanoma (cutaneous metastases)
  • Bowen’s disease
  • Gorlins syndrome
  • superficial basal cell carcinoma
  • multiple solar keratoses

Children’s Services

The centre has a strong interest in the provision of services for children with relevant skin conditions. Whilst many children can be treated with the use of the very effective local anaesthetic creams, we believe that a significant proportion of children do best with a brief admission to hospital as a day-case for general anaesthetic treatment.

We are very aware that most children visiting our unit will do so on many occasions. Therefore every effort is made to create a child-friendly environment with minimum waiting times and the consistency of familiar staff. We hope to make what is understandably a very stressful visit for the whole family, as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

Children's Birthmarks

Port-wine Stain

Before

before

After

after

Strawberry Haemangioma

Before

before

 

After

after

 

Port-wine Stain Lesions are normally present and visible at the time of birth although they may be particularly pale during the first few days of life. Research and results over the past few years suggest that the treatment of these lesions is best carried out during the first few years of life. Most port-wine stain lesions require a number of treatments and these are usually carried out at intervals of several months during one-to-two years.

Strawberry Birthmarks occur to a very high percentage with10% of children affected. Whilst strawberry haemangiomas do resolve spontaneously with time, we tend to emphasise early treatment for rapidly growing lesions, or lesions around the eyes, mouth or genital areas. Our own research indicates that the very early treatment of these marks, which are usually present at birth, but develop within the first few weeks of life, significantly accelerate resolution and also reduces maximal size of lesion.

Our Staff

Clinical Consultants

Mr P J Mahaffey consultant plastic surgeon

Dr B Monk consultant dermatologist

Nursing Team

Sue Walker, Sister / Laser Centre Manager

Natalie Allen, Junior Sister

Kerry Muggeson, Staff Nurse

Caroline Rutt, Staff Nurse

Contact Us

Telephone: 01234 792172
Facsimile: 01234 792223
E-mail: laser.centre@bedhos.anglox.nhs.uk