Burn Victim Gets Laser Treatments
On today's "Anderson Live," burn victim Tanya recalled what happened last August when she was burned, allegedly by her then-boyfriend, Nikolas. Nikolas was accused of pouring corrosive acid over Tanya's head and face, and is currently in jail awaiting a bail hearing.
Tanya, 29, suffered serious burns to her head, face, neck and chest from what police believe to be a household cleaner.
With the help of Lumenis (top laser company with latest technology to help scars), a burn charity, and Dr. Waibel's expertise and medical techniques, we surprised Tanya with the wonderful news that she will be treated with a variety of lasers and other procedures to help reduce the burn scars.
About Dr. Jill Waibel:
Dr. Waibel is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology.She specializes in cutaneous laser surgery, general and cosmetic dermatology. She is currently the medical director and owner of the Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute in South Miami. Dr. Waibel is also the Subsection Chief of Dermatology at Baptist Hospital. In addition, Dr. Waibel serves as a Clinical Voluntary Assistant Professor at the University of Miami.
Dr. Waibel’s undergraduate degree is from Indiana University. She completed medical school and dermatology residency at the Wright State School of Medicine in Ohio where she was at the top of her class, graduating Alpha Omega Alpha. Dr. Waibel served as chief resident and went on to do three laser preceptorships.
She has received numerous awards for her contributions to medicine, including an award given by Surgeon General Koop. Dr. Waibel is also a recipient of The American Society of Dermatologic Surgery Cutting Research Award.
In her practice, she has over 35 laser devices and treats a wide variety of cutaneous disease.
The treatment of scars by applying today’s latest cutaneous laser technologies is one of Dr. Waibel’s primary passions. She has successfully developed industry leading procedures and techniques with lasers. She works with a team that has developed patents related to laser and stem cells. Dr. Waibel is active in basic science clinical trials at the University of Miami and oversees a clinical trials division of Miami Dermatology and Research.
Dr. Waibel lectures nationally and internationally and she has published over thirty peer-reviewed journal articles and several textbook chapters.
For more information on Dr. Waibel, visit MiamiDermLaser.com.
About Lumenis UltraPulse Laser:
For more than 40 years, Lumenis has been the global leader in research and development, manufacturing and distribution of the world’s most advanced laser and intense pulsed light systems. Lumenis holds more than 160 patents on which much of the laser industry is based. With more than 80,000 systems installed in Dermatology, Urology, Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Aesthetic physicians’ offices worldwide, Lumenis is committed to world class light-based medicine.
Considered the gold standard of CO2 lasers, UltraPulse has been referenced in over 90 peer reviewed publications. With its long history of fractional capabilities, UltraPulse has lead the way in fractional resurfacing and treatment of conspicuous scars.
History:
The UltraPulse laser was first sold in the early 1990s as a surgical laser primarily treating indications in laparoscopic and otolaryngology surgeries. It wasn’t until the mid 1990s that the UltraPulse was used in dermatologic surgery for laser skin resurfacing. It was not until 2006 when the invention of fractional ablative resurfacing was discovered providing great skin resurfacing results with less down time and complications
Impact:
The US alone has 20,000 new burn care treatment cases per year that can likely lead to these mature burn scars with their symptoms. Considering that these patients likely have restrictive mature scars and the fact that this is a novel new therapy there with new treatment outcomes, from the last 25 years there are probably 0.5M patients that can benefit from this therapy. Patients' benefits include decrease in pain, increased range of motion, improvement in skin elasticity and texture.
Third world countries may have more occurrences due to the lack of regulation around cooking, gas, etc. There are several medical missions partially sponsored by Lumenis to treat burn survivors in places like Vietnam, China, and Russia.
Visit Aesthetic.Lumenis.com for more information.
Comments
Thank you for speaking out and sharing your pain. If one abused woman is helped and empowered to get help, your shared experience will be worth it. It is so hard to be close to someone suffering and not be able to get through to them. I have shared this story on Facebook and Google+ so that your tragic story and lucky triumph can be a tool for change.
What a wonderful gift she has been given. But not everyone has access to free dermatologic care. I'm sure that this would be considered an 'esthetic procedure', so health insurance would never cover the cost even if you had insurance. I have been seen several Dr. about my skin and widespread scarring caused by lack of care by an emergency room Dr. After being knocked off of a motorcycle by a deer in '08, I had 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree 'road' burns from my chin to my toes. These wounds were never scrubbed clean at the hospital. The initial scars healed within months and weren't that bad- until 6 months later, when the dirt and debris left in my wounds began to rise back to the surface, opening my skin back up, and began to purge. This has been a slow and agonizing condition that no Dr. has yet to recognize or offered any help or relief for. I have been tested for bacterial infections and allergies. All of the tests came back negative, naturally-- and because the skin and hair that was ripped off my body and jammed back in during the accident was what a biopsy revealed, the plastic surgeon that ordered the biopsy, insisted that I was inflicting these wounds upon myself. I left his office angry and severely depressed. His final comment to me had been "Even if this is what you claim it is, what do you expect me to do about it?" Who is going to help me? He was the 4th Dr. I saw- and I was referred back to a Dr. that had referred me to him- every one of them passed the buck until I was being referred back where I started. The scars left by the purging, are far worse than the original scars. Even after 4 years, though it has decreased quite a bit, the purging continues.I'm a 49 year old woman that doesn't go out in public during the short sleeve months of the year. I am tired of applying thick layers of make-up on my face everyday- and I don't really go anywhere- but even if I have to sign for registered mail or sign for a delivery, I won't answer the door with out having any make-up on. When the first day of warm weather arrives, it sends me into a depression that doesn't end until I can wear long sleeves comfortably, again. Jobs are scarce, and even a seasonal bartending job is out of reach for me looking as I do and unable to wear a short sleeved uniform shirt. When I'm forced to go grocery shopping in the summer, I go at night and wear a jacket or long sleeves. This is a terrible way to live and I have spent hours upon hours searching the internet for any information on treatment or even someone with a similar condition- even if it is just to have another human being to relate to. The closest I have ever come is a short article about a Dr. working with military personnel who had similar injuries but weren't treated initially because of more serious life-threatening injuries that needed to be addressed first. Everything I've read, states that any injury such as this -like my road rash burns- must be cleaned and treated within 2 hours of the injury. If not, the tissue becomes so inflamed that it absorbs the dirt into the body. They are only now trying to find a way to help people with this condition- but it is strictly being done for military personnel injured during active duty. My health insurance won't cover any kind of laser scar removal- and I can only imagine how many treatments it would take to lighten scars that cover so much of my exposed skin....I'm happy for this young woman- but it is frustrating to me that the medical community I WENT TO FOR HELP has offered no hope for relieving my pain or lightening my scars.
I am a retired RN in Ottawa, appreciating the Dr Jill Walbel Lumenis Laser info. Also appreciate the shaklee new burn treatment which speeds up healing. Will attempt to get this info to Jill. Wish me luck.
Tanya you were so uplifting for me.I have a nine year old grand daughter that was in a house fire in 2009.She has scars from neck to knees.I am so glad there is help out there for burn victims.I am in the process of trying to find more help for her.God bless you.
Tanya concession was so real and heart touching, so sad that this had to happened. Hopefully your interview on today viewing must show young adolescent people a lesson.
Thanks everyone for the positive thoughts about my cousin.
This story is amazing. What I want to know is, did Tanya have something on her face so that we couldn't see the burns? Her face looked amazing for someone that was burnt the way she was. I wish her the best of luck.
My heart goes out to Tanya. I was in a toxic relationship. The man was obsessive. I missed red flags in the beginning that I should have paid attention to. What a strong beautiful woman she is.