Laser Surgery for Birthmark Succeeds : Child’s Long Journey Pays Off

Doctors claimed partial success Tuesday after performing laser surgery on 2-year-old Daniela Maldonado, who traveled to Irvine from Ecuador for treatment of a disfiguring birthmark.

One laser was used during a 2 1/2-hour treatment at the Beckman Laser Institute in Irvine to trace and seal off the blood vessels which cause the birthmark under the skin of Daniela’s chin and chest.

“She is pretty cranky right now,” said her uncle, Romulo Maldonado. “They said she’d feel like she had a bad sunburn, but since I don’t think she has ever had one of those, she isn’t too happy.”

Because the child and her mother, Elvira, traveled from such a long distance, the procedure, which is usually done on a small section during the first treatment, was performed on the entire birthmark area.

“We usually treat about half of the mark,” said Joyce Zeiler, nursing director at the Beckman Institute. “We do that to watch the reaction the skin may have to the treatment, but because of the distance this patient traveled we proceeded to treat the entire area at one time.”

Dr. Adrianna Schreibner, the surgeon who performed the laser treatment, said the child’s birthmark reacted exactly as expected during the procedure and that 30% to 50% of the mark is expected to fade during the first treatment while 80% should fade after a second visit.

“We are very happy with the treatment and feel that what were deep purple marks on her chest and neck should turn into a light pink color or normal skin color with the first treatment,” said Dr. Schreibner. “But the marks on her cheeks, where the blood vessels were much deeper, may not fade as much.”

Family members say that if funds permit, Daniela will return to the clinic within six to nine months for a second treatment. Patients usually receive two to three laser treatments to achieve desired results. Daniela’s aunt and uncle, Joy and Romulo Maldonado of La Crescenta, began saving for the procedure, which is not available in Ecuador, soon after Daniela’s birth.

“We wanted to save her from the cruel comments of others as soon as we could,” said Joy Maldonado, the girl’s aunt. “Doing it now will save her much pain later on.”

The operation, which costs an estimated $2,100, was discounted 20% because of the family’s income and unique circumstances.