Suffering a second- or third-degree burn is traumatic enough without having to bear the scars for a lifetime. Burn scars cause high morbidity in the form of contractures, body disfigurement, and itching, and they also have a high emotional impact that adversely affects patient quality of life. Laser therapy has proven effective in this setting. It is superior to topical treatments and can be used in conjunction with surgery, helping to reduce morbidity.
Fractional CO2 laser therapy effectively treats new, old, and severe scars, including scars from abnormal healing that have proven very difficult to treat, such as hypertrophic scars. Patients are typically evaluated for fractional CO2 laser therapy six months to one year post-injury, but scars of any age can be considered for treatment.