Objective: To investigate the effect of ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser (AFCO2L) combined with 1064 nm-Nd: YAG laser in treating hypertrophic scars (HTS) in burn patients.
Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 119 patients with postburn HTS admitted to The First People's Hospital of Changzhou from March 2021 to October 2023. According to the treatment method, patients who received 1064 nm-Nd: YAG laser treatment were included in the YAG group, while patients who were treated by a combination of 1064 nm-Nd: YAG laser and AFCO2L comprised the combined group. Treatment effects, skin properties, and patients' satisfaction with aesthetics were compared between the two groups.
Results: The total efficacy of the combination group was significantly higher than that of the YAG group (<0.05). After the treatment, skin elasticity, skin moisture, and pigmentation scores of the combined group were significantly higher than those of the YAG group (<0.05). The level of satisfaction with the aesthetics was significantly higher in patients who received the combined treatment than those treated with YAG alone (<0.05).
Conclusions: A combination of AFCO2L and 1064 nm-Nd: YAG laser in the treatment of HTS is associated with a more significant effect, more significant improvement of skin properties, less pigmentation, and overall increased patient satisfaction with the aesthetics compared to the treatment with 1064 nm-Nd: YAG laser alone.
