Early fractional carbon dioxide laser intervention for postsurgical scars in skin of color

BACKGROUND: Fractional CO(2) laser is one of the most effective treatment options used to resurface scars. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of early treatment of postsurgical scar by fractional ablative CO(2) laser. METHODS: A total of 27 Egyptian patients with recent postoperative scars were enrolled in this study. Three sessions of fractional CO(2) laser with a 1-month interval were started 4 weeks after surgery. Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) was used as an assessment tool at 1 and 3 months after the final treatment. Patients reported their satisfaction using a subjective 4-point scale. RESULTS: Results demonstrated a statistically significant overall average improvement of the VSS (5.33±1.33) before compared with (2.55±1.06) 3 months after the last laser treatment (P≤0.001). Among the individual parameters in the VSS, the most significant improvements were found in pigmentation, height, and pliability. Patient’s subjective satisfaction scores showed a significant greater degree of satisfaction after laser treatment. CONCLUSION: Fractional ablative CO(2) laser is an effective and safe treatment modality for surgical scars in the early postsurgical period.