Cutting Edge Technology

We strive to bring you the best new innovations for treatment of multiple conditions.

We now offer the Aspen Pinnacle, a 30 watt laser for your toenail fungus treatment. This adds a totally different mechanism to remove your fungus. The Aspen Pinnacle is a lower wavelength laser which causes increased oxygen levels in the skin and nail leading to fungal death. Treatments consist of 3 treatments, four weeks apart. The Aspen Pinnacle does not work by heating the nail. This is the old method of treatment. There is no reason to suffer through the pain of a high heat treatment. Our device is truly FDA cleared for use in general and plastic surgery involving dermatological conditions such as toenail fungus and is also FDA cleared for use in physical therapy. We are the only Podiatrist in Pinellas County offering such a device.

Laser Therapy

Most physicians use the laser with typical protocols and settings and treat the nails using heat to destroy fungus. In order for the heat to be high enough to kill fungus it must be very high and uncomfortable. Toenail fungus is highly resistant to this type of treatment and that is why topical medications alone don’t work and even strong oral medications have a low success rate. These oral medications can also potentially cause liver damage, loss of taste, stomach problems and other ailments.

The office of Dr. Julian Menendez now has the latest fungus nail technology. We strive to stay on the cutting edge of technology and to bring you the best new innovations for ugly toenails and toenail fungus.

Toenail Fungus

When having a toenail fungus laser treatment, many different areas of the nail and nail bed require intense treatment. The most resistant area is the skin of the nail bed. It is not just the surface of the skin but the fungal infection within the actual skin layer and also at the root of the nail. Most laser and laser protocols do only a fair job of penetrating this layer to kill the fungus. Other areas that carry the infection include the actual nail plate itself and the nail surface. Nail discoloration and thickening of the nail are a result of infection extending through the nail and attached to the nail bed. The surface fungus will often look white and be at the base of the nail and along the sides, the nail grooves. So the problem is multi-faceted and requires a well thought out protocol for optimal results.

Successful Treatment

The office of Dr. Menendez is using the strongest protocol for the most successful toenail fungus laser treatment. There are two major components to the treatment program. The first is the typical raising of temperature to kill the fungus. This has been replaced by the latest laser technology that produces high oxygen levels to kill fungus without heat discomfort. The second component involves the use of the actual red light laser beam to cause photo-inactivation of the fungus leading to the destruction of the genetic material of the fungus. This can only be accomplished through prolonged exposure to the laser beam with settings altered to again evenly and completely affect all layers. This is done through multiple passes over the nail. This mechanism provides a much greater amount of fungal death and the inability of the fungus to reproduce and re-infect the nail. Our new laser has proven wavelengths that cause toenail fungus death and is the only FDA cleared laser device for this type of treatment.

Maintenance Program

In some cases, there is no absolute cure for toenail fungus infections. We believe our treatment program is the closest you will get. In addition, there are excellent maintenance options to prevent recurrence of fungal infections. In very severe cases some patients have infections deep within the base and growth area of the nail and may require nail removal followed by the toenail fungus laser treatment still using the laser protocol.

FDA Clearance

While there are other lasers and other physicians performing laser fungus removal, none compare to our FDA cleared Aspen Pinnacle and experience using this advanced technology. The office of Dr. Julian Menendez now has the latest laser technology. We now offer the Aspen Pinnacle, a 30 watt laser, which is truly FDA cleared for use in general and plastic surgery involving dermatological conditions and is also FDA cleared for use in physical therapy. We are the only Podiatrist in Pinellas County offering such a device.

Other Clinical Benefits of Laser Therapy

1. Anti-Inflammation:
Laser therapy has an anti-edemic effect as it causes vasodilation, but also because it activates the lymphatic drainage system (drains swollen areas). As a result, there is a reduction in swelling caused by bruising or inflammation.

2. Anti-Pain (Analgesic):
Laser therapy has a high beneficial effect on nerve cells which block pain transmitted by these cells to the brain and which decreases nerve sensitivity. Also, due to less inflammation, there is less edema and less pain.

3. Accelerated Tissue Repair and Cell Growth:
Photons of light from lasers penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth. The laser light increases the energy available to the cell so that the cell can take on nutrients faster and get rid of waste products.

4. Improved Vascular Activity:
Laser light will significantly increase the formation of new capillaries in damaged tissue that speeds up the healing process, closes wounds quickly and reduces scar tissue.

5. Increased Metabolic Activity:
Laser therapy creates higher outputs of specific enzymes, greater oxygen and food particle loads for blood cells.

6. Trigger Points and Acupuncture Points:
Laser therapy stimulates muscle trigger points and acupuncture points on a non-invasive basis providing musculoskeletal pain relief.

7. Reduced Fibrous Tissue Formation:
Laser Therapy reduces the formation of scar tissue following tissue damage from cuts, scratches, burns or surgery.

8. Improved Nerve Function:
Slow recovery of nerve functions in damaged tissue can result in numbness and impaired limbs. Laser light will speed up the process of axonal regeneration, nerve cell reconnection, and increase the amplitude of action potentials to optimize muscle action.

9. Immunoregulation:
Laser light has a direct effect on immunity status by stimulation of immunoglobulins and lymphocytes. Laser Therapy is absorbed by chromophores (molecule enzymes) that react to laser light. The enzyme flavomono-nucleotide is activated and starts the production of ATP (adenosine-tri-phosphate), which is the major carrier of cell energy and the energy source for all chemical reactions in the cells.

10. Faster Wound Healing:
Laser light stimulates fibroblast development (fibroblasts are the building blocks of collagen, which is predominant in wound healing) in damaged tissue. Collagen is the essential protein required to replace old tissue or to repair tissue injuries.

CALL US TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LASER THERAPY TREATMENT (727)544-5425

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