The Transformative Power of Laser Treatment for Scars

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Katie Romanowsi, M.D., FACS, Burn Surgeon:

I'm Katie Romanowsi. I am a burn surgeon here at Shriners Children's Northern California. I work here to take care of children who sustain burn injuries, and I take care of them basically from the time of injury all the way through the recovery, and for years after that as they continue to live with the scars that they have.

Laser treatment is a relatively new treatment. It's been around for a few years where patients undergo treatments to help their scars move, look, feel better. So there's a couple different types of lasers. We have recently purchased a carbon dioxide laser, which we're really excited about getting patients the treatment that I think will really help their scars mature better.

The laser works by targeting molecules at a particular wavelength. So basically it makes tiny little holes in the scar tissue that allow the scar tissue molecules to kind of rearrange, and it leads to a flattening of the burn scars, and it also can lead to some decreased symptomatology from the burns, such as itching. It can improve flexibility, tightness, things like that.

Patients love this procedure. A lot of them will come back over and over for it. The benefits that they tend to tell me are that they feel like their skin feels looser. They feel like the scars look flatter, they move better, and they have decreased itch.

I would tell someone that's considering laser treatments that it's a safe, effective treatment for hypertrophic or raised burn scars. That it's something they should definitely consider if their scars are bothering them. Goal is to make it look better, feel better, and for the patient to have more confidence in their body.

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