Ablative Fractional Lasing of Mohs Micrographic Surgery Facial Scars
Early Postoperative Single Treatment Ablative Fractional Lasing of Mohs Micrographic Surgery Facial Scars: A Split-scar, Evaluator-blinded Study
Wausau, WI (March 27, 2015) – Research conducted by Joseph F. Sobanko, MD, Vasanop Vachiramon, MD, Pinyo Rattanaumpawan, MD, PhD, and Christopher J. Miller, MD was selected as Editor’s Choice in the January 2015 issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM).
The manuscript titled, “Early Postoperative Single Treatment Ablative Fractional Lasing of Mohs Micrographic Surgery Facial Scars: A Split-scar, Evaluator-blinded Study” was published in LSM, the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS).
Conducted on 20 subjects between the ages of 20–90 that underwent Mohs surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancer of the face, the study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a single treatment of a scar with an ablative CO2 fractional laser early in the post-surgical setting.
“Postoperative surgical scars can be a vexing problem for surgeons,” stated Joseph F. Sobanko, MD. “Despite meticulous surgical technique, some facial scars will nevertheless depress and widen over time, likely due to weakened or inadequately replaced collagen fibers in the underlying dermis. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that use of a 10,600-nm ablative carbon dioxide (CO₂) fractional laser early in the post-surgical setting was safe and could improve postoperative facial scars after a single treatment session via laser-induced neocollagenesis. While almost all the treated and untreated scar portions healed with an excellent aesthetic result, our pilot study also revealed a strong patient preference for this early intervention and provides evidence for future investigations into this scar prevention strategy.”
Joseph F. Sobanko, MD is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Director of Dermatologic Surgery Education at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. He completed his dermatology residency at Georgetown University Hospital and his advanced dermatologic surgery fellowship at Oregon Health & Sciences University. His research investigates the importance of physical appearance and how its alteration can significantly impact the lives of patients.
J. Stuart Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., editor in chief of the Lasers in Surgery and Medicine journal commented on the study, "While previous studies have shown that early treatment of post-surgical scars with pulsed dye laser and nonablative fractional laser improve scar appearance, few prospective studies have analyzed the effects of an ablative fractional laser (AFL) when used early in the postoperative setting on surgical scars. Sobanko et.al present a prospective, randomized, evaluator-blinded, comparative split-scar study. This study used both objective and subjective grading to assess the effects of treating surgical facial scars with ablative fractional carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser one week post surgery. Their study revealed facial wounds meticulously sutured in a layered manner do heal well, however, patients preferred early fractional CO₂ lasing of surgical scars. The use of the Vancouver Scar Scale failed to detect an objective difference between laser and control halves of scars. Additionally, the absence of significant adverse events suggests that AFL treatment of early postoperative scars is safe.”
Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS. To view the complete manuscript, visit: aslms.org/professional/lsmeditorschoice
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. The 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.
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Stephanie Grauden
715-845-9283
stephanie@aslms.org
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the world's largest scientific organization dedicated to promoting research, education and high standards of clinical care in the field of medical laser applications. It provides a forum for the exchange of scientific information and participates in communicating the latest developments in laser medicine and surgery to clinicians, research investigators, government and regulatory agencies, and the public.
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