Photodynamic Therapy (cont.)
In this Article
How is recovery?
Recovery is usually fairly easy and uneventful. Many
patients have mild dryness and a faint to mild sunburn of the treated area. A
small percent of patients may have moderate or marked discomfort and a harder
recovery because of more skin dryness, redness, or burning.
Some of these patients have had inadvertent sun exposure even as short as a
minute or two during their immediate posttreatment time, causing a more severe
reaction. A handful of patients have reported some minor sun-exposing activities
like briefly stepping out to fill their yard bird feeder or walking out for a
moment to grab the mail from the mailbox.
You will want to plan to stay indoors and avoid any sunlight for 24-48 hours
as directed by your physician. Overall, you may be able to resume all normal
indoor activities the first day.
Most patients are able to return to work or
school the 24-48 hours after photodynamic therapy. Avoiding direct sunlight for
the first one to two days in crucial to avoiding getting an exuberant (red) response.
Your physician will need to let you know what activity precautions are required
based on the area and size of your procedure.
Is there pain after PDT?
Typically, there is not much pain with PDT. No two individuals are exactly the same, and
individual reactions and tolerance to discomfort levels vary. Most patients
report mild skin irritation including minimal to mild dryness and tight feeling
of their skin after PDT. This discomfort is usually improved with frequent
application of bland topical emollients or plain Vaseline.
A small number of patients may actually complain that they felt nothing and
didn't have any pain or peeling. Less commonly, a small percentage of patients
for various reasons may have significant pain, a very exaggerated sunburn
response, moderate overall discomfort, and pain from the tightness and warmth of
the skin.
If there is pain, many patients find that they prefer to take something for
pain at the first hint of discomfort instead of waiting until the pain builds up
to an unbearable level. If you have mild or moderate pain, your doctor may
advise you to take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or another pain reliever. Rarely,
prescription pain medications may be required for severe pain.
Your physician will let you know what pain medications are recommended for
your specific condition.
Next: How do I take care of my treatment area after photodynamic therapy? »
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