MakatiMed's vascular birthmark program marks 4th-year run

MANILA, Philippines - For six chosen patients, whose ages range from as young as three months old to nine years old, Makati Medical Center’s Vascular Birthmark Program serves as a beacon of hope for their condition.

The program, initiated in 2008 with the help of the Rotary Club of Makati West (RCMW), aims to treat patients afflicted with vascular birthmarks.

The six patients were among those screened to become beneficiaries of a series of treatment sessions.

MakatiMed’s program, now on its fourth year, gave the selected patients the necessary treatments through the collaborative efforts of a team of specialists from the hospital’s different medical departments. 

Dr. Peachy Paz-Lao, who chairs the Department of Dermatology and is a member of the Vascular Birthmark Team, said hemangiomas and port wine stains require a string of pulsed dye laser treatments.

“These patients underwent their first session in December 2010 and the most recent operation (in March this year) served as their follow-up treatment,” Lao said.

And according to Lao, there have been apparent improvements from their first laser session.

Members of the Vascular Birthmark Team who performed the second treatment were Lao and Dr. Valerie Herbosa of the Department of Dermatology; Dr. Aurelia Leus of the Department of Pediatrics; and Dr. Mimi Reyles of the Department of Anaesthesiology.

In general, there are two types of vascular birthmarks — hemangiomas and vascular malformations.

Hemangiomas are the non-cancerous tumors that become noticeable from one to four weeks after birth, and usually occur on the head or neck, but can also occur anywhere, including the internal organs.

More often than not, hemangiomas regress before the age of 10. Unfortunately, these tumors can be defacing and may bring about social as well as emotional stigma on the part of the patient.