When Teagan was born we were given tons of information about birthmarks and our options for removal. At that time a couple different pediatricians told us that we could wait until Teagan was 3-4 years of age before performing laser surgery, this way we wouldn't need to put her under general anesthesia. Well, this turned out not to be the case. Our Craniofacial Surgeon (the same specialist who is treating Cal's plagiocephaly) told us we would see the best results from the laser surgery if we start the surgeries just after she turns 6 months old. She will have multiple laser surgeries performed over the course of a few years, and her first one is this Thursday 8/29/08. Of course, we are nervous. The procedure itself is relatively simple and will only take about 15 minutes, but it's the general anesthesia we are worried about. We were told not to worry, that putting a 6 month old under anesthesia is no different or than an older child or even an adult. BUT, it's hard to think about seeing my baby being prepped for surgery. It's an outpatient procedure and we'll actually be home by 11am (we have to be there at 6am).
We've actually noticed that the birthmark has lightened in the past few months, not because it's fading, only because her skin is stretching as she grows. We don't have very many clear pictures of Teagan's birthmark, but I found one close-up of her at 3 months old.
Keep her in your thoughts on Thursday.
