Excimer laser is being recommended to treat your condition.  Excimer laser delivers targeted, high-dose, monochromatic therapeutic light with wavelength of 308nm directly to the affected tissue without exposing healthy skin. It creates a concentrated but painless beam of light that is applied through a hand piece directly to the affected skin. By targeting only the affected tissue without exposing healthy skin, the laser delivers high-dose treatment that may promote faster clearing and longer remission than conventional NB-UVB phototherapy.

Most patients require 6 to 25 treatments to improve psoriasis and 25 or more treatments to improve vitiligo.  Certain areas such as the face clear more quickly than the body or scalp while other areas such as the hands and feet may require more sessions.  Treatments may be performed as frequently as 2 to 3 treatments each week.  Not all patients will clear completely. This is not a cure. The goal is clearing of the affected areas with subsequent remission.
The potential risks and side-effects of the excimer laser include the following: sunburn, blistering, hyperpigmentation, dryness, itching. Protective glasses will need to be worn during the treatment.

We will call your insurance to see if it is covered. It is highly recommended that you call as well. The diagnosis code for Vitiligo is 709.01 and Psoriasis is 696.1 and the procedure code is 96920. When calling insurance, make sure and document the name of the person that you spoke with.  Ask if the procedure is covered, if it will be applied to a deductible, and if you have a co-pay. We should obtain your email address and make sure that you are set up on our patient portal system before you leave the office. Once we hear back from your insurance, we will message you on the patient portal system with the coverage benefits that we found out from your insurance. At this time, we will also request that you message us back letting us know if you would like to proceed with the testing and when you would like to schedule.  If you opt not to use the patient portal system, we can call you but we apologize in advance if we “play phone tag”.  If you have any further questions please ask your healthcare provider, message us on the Patient Portal, or call our office at 817-795-7546, ext 310.