What Treatment Options Are Available at the Hemangioma & Malformation Treatment Center?

Updated

The Hemangioma & Malformation Treatment Center (hemangiomatreatment.com) lists four main treatment-related categories: observation, surgery, lasers, and medical hemangioma therapy. It also separates treatment of malformations from hemangioma treatment, which reflects an important clinical point: hemangiomas and vascular malformations behave differently over time, so the appropriate option depends on which type a child has. The site presents these as options a specialist evaluates case by case, not as a menu a parent can select from directly.

The four treatment categories listed on the site

The center's navigation groups its clinical offerings under Treatment, with these entries:

  • Observation — monitoring a lesion rather than intervening immediately.
  • Surgery — operative removal or correction.
  • Lasers — laser-based treatment.
  • Medical Hemangioma Therapy — drug-based treatment for hemangiomas.

A separate entry, Treatment of Malformations, sits alongside these, indicating that vascular malformations are managed as a distinct problem from hemangiomas.

Why the site separates hemangiomas from malformations

The center states plainly that while hemangiomas and malformations are related and often confused, "they are very different in their natural history and in the options for treatment." That distinction is the reason the site does not offer one generic treatment path. A hemangioma and a malformation can look similar but follow different courses, so the choice among observation, surgery, lasers, or medical therapy follows from the diagnosis first.

The site also gives context for how common these cases are: it estimates about 10% of births involve a vascular birthmark — roughly 400,000 children per year in the United States — and that about 30% of those, nearly 120,000 children annually, have a birthmark that should be evaluated by a specialist.

What the treatment process involves

The site includes a Treatment Process page in its main navigation, positioned as the step-by-step view of how care proceeds. Based on the structure of the site, the flow runs from initial evaluation through to a recommended intervention, with the specific option chosen by the specialist. The center frames its approach around what it calls a "Complete Care Experience," and it provides dedicated sections for parents, for children, and for referring doctors, plus travel planning assistance and insurance information — details that matter to families traveling to its Charleston location.

Practical points for families considering this center

  • Contact and location: The center lists the phone number 843-571-4742 and is based in Charleston, with a "Traveling To Charleston" page for out-of-area families.
  • Referrals: There is an "Info For Doctors" section, useful if a pediatrician or specialist is coordinating the referral.
  • Costs: The site does not publish prices for its treatment options. The one financial figure on the page is a fundraising appeal for a specific patient, citing a tentative quote of $50,000–$60,000 for hospital and anesthesia costs — that is a case-specific figure, not a price list, and should not be read as the cost of treatment generally.
  • Insurance: A dedicated insurance information page exists, so coverage questions are handled through that channel rather than stated on the homepage.

The main limitation to keep in mind

The site describes categories of treatment, not the criteria for choosing among them. It does not state which lesions suit observation versus surgery versus lasers versus medical therapy, and it does not publish protocols or candidacy rules. Those decisions rest with the treating specialist after evaluation. If you are trying to determine whether your child's birthmark needs treatment at all, the site's own guidance is that roughly 30% of vascular birthmarks should be seen by a specialist — so the first practical step is an evaluation, not selecting a treatment from the list.