Medical team gets closer to establish laser center in Armenia

By Asbarez | Thursday, 24 March 2016

Dr. Hrachya Arshakyan and Dr. Alina Arshakyan, both plastic surgeons at Arabkir Pediatric Hospital are standing next to the two lasers (the GentleMax and the AlexTriVantage lasers) donated by Candela-Syneron laser company to Armenia. Dr. Lilit Garibyan, Dr. Nishan Goudsouzian, Dr. Rox Anderson and Dr. Ray Jalian in the operating room at Arabkir Pediatric Hospital right before starting the treatment cases.

BOSTON — In April of 2014, a team of three dermatology laser specialists from the United States (US) returned to Yerevan, Armenia to further the development of a state of the art laser dermatology center for treatment of scars and vascular anomalies. The team of US physicians consisted of Dr. Rox Anderson of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Lilit Garibyan of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Nishan Goudsouzian of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Dr. H. Ray Jalian of UCLA Medical Center, and Dr. Christine Avakoff of Private Practice. Building on their first mission in 2013, the team’s main goal was to establish a permanent presence in Yerevan, to bring lasers, to train local doctors to allow continuity of care to patients with vascular birthmarks and scars.

In collaboration with local plastic surgeons and Arabkir Medical Center and the Armenian American Wellness Center, the team evaluated close to 120 patients and treated over 50 patients including several cases under general anesthesia. Thanks to the generous support of Candela-Syneron, permanent installations of the GentleMax Laser (used to treat vascular birthmarks) and the AlexTriVantage (used to treat traumatic tattoos and pigmented lesions) donated by Candela-Syneron laser company were left in Arabkir Medical Center. In addition, a generous donation by Dr. Christine Avakoff allowed for the permanent installation of the Pulsed Dye Laser (used to treat vascular birthmark and scars) at the Armenian American Wellness Center. With this donation, the team performed the first ever pulse dye laser treatment of a port wine stain in Armenia. This treatment, which has been standard of care for port wine stains and other vascular birthmarks in the US for over 10 years, will greatly impact the lives of young children with these potentially disfiguring lesions.

In addition to the treatment of patients, the team organized an education seminar for local physicians hosted by Lumenis, Inc Laser Company to provided information on the laser technologies and how it can be used to treat a variety of medical conditions. Lumenis also generously sponsored the shipment and use of a laser for scar treatments, which was returned to the company at the end of the mission.  There are plans under way now to obtain a laser for scar treatment that can permanently be housed in Arabkir hospital along with the GentleMax and the AlexTriVantage lasers donated by Candela-Syneron.  The ultimate goal of this mission is to establish a sustainable laser center in Yerevan, Armenia.

This was the team’s second mission trip to Armenia and now they feel one step closer to the goal to establishing a medical laser center in Arabkir Pediatric Hospital where plastic surgeons, Dr. Hrachya and Alina Arshakyan, were trained to perform laser procedures for children with vascular anomalies and scars.  “Unfortunately, sometimes the most effective and innovative healthcare technologies don’t get to the patients who need them most,” said Dr. Anderson. “We’re determined to change that.” Children with burn injuries or vascular birthmarks, whether they live in the suburbs of New York City or a small village in Armenia – should have access to treatments medical lasers treatments.  We ask for your help in making sure that we continue this mission.  Dr. Garibyan would like to stress that we as a nation and as a community should appreciate and capitalize on the fact that a world-class person such as Harvard Medical School Professor and prolific inventor such as Dr. Rox Anderson is genuinely donating his expertise, time, and effort and lasers to support this mission. We need to act now to make sure this mission is a success.  Your generous donations for paying for the day to day cost of this clinic in Armenia is vital for its survival, especially at the beginning stages.  If you have any questions or would like to help please contact Dr. Lilit Garibyan directly at lgaribyan@mgh.harvard.edu.

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