C-Beam Technology May Open New Horizons For DPMs

Podiatrists looking for new ways of treating plantar verruca may want to check out a new advance in laser treatments. The C-beam is a laser that penetrates below the epidermal surface to get to the root of plantar and palmar psoriasis. Frank Russo, DPM, has been using the C-beam for several weeks to treat plantar warts and other ailments and says it’s the “newest and best thing going.”
“(The C-Beam) is easy to use for us and the patients have been really receptive to it," says Dr. Russo. "If I had a plantar wart, this is how I would treat it.”
Dr. Russo says the C-beam is different from older models and his patients were at first apprehensive about the new technology but have since warmed up to it. He says he thinks other DPMs will use and should use the C-beam. The product shows “big potential” in treating psoriasis, spider veins and scarring, according to Dr. Russo.
Tiffani K. Hamilton, MD, a laser specialist at Atlanta Dermatology Vein And Research Center, also expressed her enthusiasm for the device.
“We’ve done whole arms and patients are very, very pleased,” noted Dr. Hamilton to the Aesthetic Buyer’s Guide earlier this year. “Also, there’s no pain during treatment even when we treat an area this large.”

Getting A Handle On The Basics And Long-Term Potential
According to the Candela Corporation, the C-Beam’s manufacturer, the technology of the laser gets down through the psoriatic plaque, directly to the overdeveloped capillary bed that supplies blood, oxygen and nutrients to the plaque. Candela claims that targeting laser energy with the C-beam creates heat within these capillary microvessels and ablates the vessel. A complete program of C-beam treatment can destroy the structure of the plaque, leaving your patient with a new, clear epidermis.
The C-beam’s approach contrasts with the excimer laser treatment for psoriasis. The excimer’s shorter wavelength of 308 nm does not penetrate the psoriatic plaque but attempts to clear the plaque from the outside in, according to Candela.
The company notes that the C-beam procedure requires only a minute or two, and that you would typically perform three treatments in two-week intervals. The technology keeps the area soft and pliable, optimizing the skin color match across the incision and treating the symptoms of itching and pain.
Brian Zelickson, MD, recently followed up with patients from his 1996 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
“In our studies, we selected patients with chronic plaque-type disease that tends to be unresponsive,” notes Dr. Zelickson on the results of his follow-up. “It usually takes between two to six treatments at three-week intervals. Often, the remission is quite long. We have some people who are actually five or six years out and still clear of the disease. One patient is seven years out from his two PDL treatments and shows no recurrence of plaque.”

Can You Use The C-Beam On Scars?
You can also use the C-beam to treat new surgical incision scars. This is a larger patient population than any other group in the aesthetic laser field. It includes all plastic surgery (particularly facelifts), abdominal, breast, cesarean sections, sternotomies, small telltale scars from liposuction and other less invasive procedures.
“Based on several published studies on the use of pulsed laser dye technology on hypertrophic scars (including burn and surgical scars), the parameters incorporated in the new C-beam system correspond directly to those shown to be most successful for laser scar revision,” says Tina Alster, MD, director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, D.C.
As an option, the C-beam system offers Candela’s Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD), which enables you to spray the upper layer of skin with a precisely measured mist of cryogen immediately before the laser pulse. This helps you cool and protect the skin surface. During laser use, the device offers practitioners “unequaled visibility, reliability and reproducibility, as well as maximized patient comfort,” according to Candela.