Early treatment of surgical scars with a super-pulsed fractional C02 laser shows promise
Wausau, WI (July 24, 2017) – A recent study published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM), the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS), reported that laser treatment of elective surgery scars within the first weeks resulted in improved texture and pigment over the standard silicone gel treatment.
The research was conducted by Luiz Ronaldo Alberti MD, PhD; Eduardo Faria Vicari, MD; Roselaine De Souza Jardim Vicari; and Andy Petroianu, MD, Phd. Their manuscript titled, “Early use of CO2 Lasers and Silicone Gel on Surgical Scars: Prospective Study” was selected as Editor’s Choice in the August 2017 issue of LSM.
“Applications using fractional CO2 lasers, widely used to treat the sequelas of acne, for rejuvenation, stretch marks, and hypertrophic scars, have proven to be promising procedures in achieving the quality of the final aesthetics of the scar,” said Dr. Alberti.
“This manuscript compared the aesthetic quality of scars in two groups of patients. One group was treated with super-pulsed fractional CO2 laser applications in contrast with the other group that used only the silicone gel on the scar after plastic surgery. We demonstrated, according to the Vancouver scale, that the early use of the fractional CO2 laser can be used safely, to improve the aesthetic quality of scars from elective surgeries in the second and in the sixth months.”
Dr. Alberti is Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. He obtained his MD degree in 2003 and his doctorate in sciences (PhD degree) in 2005. For over 15 years, Dr. Alberti’s research has focused on cicatrization and the use of lasers. In 2015, he published a paper in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine on the use of low level laser in the prevention of abdominal adhesions and healing skin after peritoniectomy. He is a leader of an important surgery research group and has been involved as an advisor in a strictu sensu post-graduation program.
Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS. View the complete manuscript.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multi-disciplinary professional organization, dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. Currently, ASLMS has over 4,000 members, including physicians and surgeons representing more than 51 specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, nurses, industry representatives and manufacturers. For more information, visit aslms.org.