Download PDF
CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2012; 39(03): 232-237
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2012.39.3.232
Original Article

The Efficacy and Safety of Ablative Fractional Resurfacing Using a 2,940-Nm Er:YAG Laser for Traumatic Scars in the Early Posttraumatic Period

Sun Goo Kim
Seran Plastic Surgery Clinic, Incheon, Korea
,
Eun Yeon Kim
Department of Plastic and Recontructive Surgery, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea
,
Yu Jin Kim
Department of Plastic and Recontructive Surgery, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea
,
Se Il Lee
Department of Plastic and Recontructive Surgery, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Background Skin injuries, such as lacerations due to trauma, are relatively common, and patients are very concerned about the resulting scars. Recently, the use of ablative and non-ablative lasers based on the fractional approach has been used to treat scars. In this study, the authors demonstrated the efficacy and safety of ablative fractional resurfacing (AFR) for traumatic scars using a 2,940-nm erbium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser for traumatic scars after primary repair during the early posttraumatic period.

Methods Twelve patients with fifteen scars were enrolled. All had a history of facial laceration and primary repair by suturing on the day of trauma. Laser therapy was initiated at least 4 weeks after the primary repair. Each patient was treated four times at 1-month intervals with a fractional ablative 2,940-nm Er:YAG laser using the same parameters. Post-treatment evaluations were performed 1 month after the fourth treatment session.

Results All 12 patients completed the study. After ablative fractional laser treatment, all treated portions of the scars showed improvements, as demonstrated by the Vancouver Scar Scale and the overall cosmetic scale as evaluated by 10 independent physicians, 10 independent non-physicians, and the patients themselves.

Conclusions This study shows that ablative fractional Er:YAG laser treatment of scars reduces scars fairly according to both objective results and patient satisfaction rates. The authors suggest that early scar treatment using AFR can be one adjuvant scar management method for improving the quality of life of patients with traumatic scars.

Keywords

Laser therapy - Erbium YAG lasers - Wounds and injuries


Publication History

Received: 07 February 2012

Accepted: 06 April 2012

Article published online:
01 May 2022

© 2012. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

  • REFERENCES

  • 1 Jung JY, Jeong JJ, Roh HJ. et al. Early postoperative treatment of thyroidectomy scars using a fractional carbon dioxide laser. Dermatol Surg 2011; 37: 217-223
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Conologue TD, Norwood C. Treatment of surgical scars with the cryogen-cooled 595 nm pulsed dye laser starting on the day of suture removal. Dermatol Surg 2006; 32: 13-20
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Park GH, Rhee DY, Bak H. et al. Treatment of atrophic scars with fractional photothermolysis: short-term follow-up. J Dermatolog Treat 2011; 22: 43-48
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Tanzi EL, Alster TS. Comparison of a 1450-nm diode laser and a 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of atrophic facial scars: a prospective clinical and histologic study. Dermatol Surg 2004; 30: 152-157
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Alster TS, Tanzi EL, Lazarus M. The use of fractional laser photothermolysis for the treatment of atrophic scars. Dermatol Surg 2007; 33: 295-299
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Manstein D, Herron GS, Sink RK. et al. Fractional photothermolysis: a new concept for cutaneous remodeling using microscopic patterns of thermal injury. Lasers Surg Med 2004; 34: 426-438
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Hantash BM, Bedi VP, Chan KF. et al. Ex vivo histological characterization of a novel ablative fractional resurfacing device. Lasers Surg Med 2007; 39: 87-95
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Narurkar VA. Skin rejuvenation with microthermal fractional photothermolysis. Dermatol Ther 2007; 20 (Suppl. 01) S10-S13
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Hu S, Hsiao WC, Chen MC. et al. Ablative fractional erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser with coagulation mode for the treatment of atrophic acne scars in Asian skin. Dermatol Surg 2011; 37: 939-944
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Chapas AM, Brightman L, Sukal S. et al. Successful treatment of acneiform scarring with CO2 ablative fractional resurfacing. Lasers Surg Med 2008; 40: 381-386
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Behroozan DS, Goldberg LH, Dai T. et al. Fractional photothermolysis for the treatment of surgical scars: a case report. J Cosmet Laser Ther 2006; 8: 35-38
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Choe JH, Park YL, Kim BJ. et al. Prevention of thyroidectomy scar using a new 1,550-nm fractional erbium-glass laser. Dermatol Surg 2009; 35: 1199-1205
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Nouri K, Jimenez GP, Harrison-Balestra C. et al. 585-nm pulsed dye laser in the treatment of surgical scars starting on the suture removal day. Dermatol Surg 2003; 29: 65-73
    PubMedGoogle Scholar