Purpose: To investigate whether pulsed dye laser treatment of non-facial surgical scars immediately after suture removal results in improved ยฎnal scar appearance. Methods: This was a randomized, controlled, non-blinded study involving twenty patients with either two comparable non-facial scars or one non-facial scar measuring at least 6.0 cm long. One of two scars or half of one scar received a single treatment with a 595 nm pulsed-dye laser (V-Beam, Candela Corp., Wayland, MA) at ยฏuences of 7 J/cm 2 , 7 mm spot size, 1.5 ms pulse duration and dynamic cooling of 30 ms spray, 20 ms delay. The other scar or other half were left untreated and served as the control. Treatment was performed immediately after suture removal.
Results were assessed at one and six weeks following treatment by the patients, investigators and a blinded, independent panel of experts.
Results: All patients tolerated treatment well. No purpura was seen in the majority of patients and when present faded within one week. When comparing paired excisions from the trunk and extremities, those lesions treated with the pulsed dye laser had an improved cosmetic result when assessed six weeks following treatment. There was less erythema and a smoother surface. Similar results were noted in the majority of instances on one-half of a non-facial single scar that received treatment with the pulsed dye laser. Details of these results will be presented. Conclusions: Use of pulsed 595 nm laser light to healing wounds improved the wound healing characteristics. Routine use of this modality may decrease the likelihood of prolonged erythema, raised or hypertrophic scars or a cosmetically less acceptable result.