Med Lasers.  2022 Sep;11(3):166-172. 10.25289/ML.2022.11.3.166.

Scar assessment after fractional CO₂ laser resurfacing using a questionnaire

• Kim HI
• Kim HS
• Yi HS
• Kim YS

• KMID: 2533594
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.25289/ML.2022.11.3.166

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Some scars have an ambiguous operative indication. In this study, we applied fractional CO₂ laser therapy to improve scar management. We further administered questionnaires to assess post-therapy satisfaction rates according to several patient-related factors of scar improvement.
Materials and Methods
Thirty-one participants underwent 2-10 (average 4.3 ± 2.1 sessions) scar treatment sessions with a fractional CO₂ laser device. The scar improvement was evaluated using the modified Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale and the efficacy was analyzed according to the number of sessions, sex, scar region, and type.
Results
The patient scar assessment scale showed improvements in pain (4.12 ± 0.99), itching (4.41 ± 0.93), pliability (3.74 ± 1.06), thickness (3.64 ± 0.98), and relief (3.54 ± 2.08). In the observer scar assessment, the evaluation of the average scar improvement after the treatment showed an improvement of 2.04 ± 1.34 points in pigmentation, 1.72 ± 1.45 points in vascularity, 2.03 ± 1.56 points in pliability, 2.00 ± 1.67 points in thickness, and 1.96 ± 1.53 points in relief. The changes in the overall patient satisfaction score based on sex (p = 0.932), scar region (p = 0.059), and scar type (p = 0.556) were not statistically significant.
Conclusion
The clinical results and statistical analysis demonstrated that the fractional CO₂ laser is a safe and easy way to improve scars and useful regardless of the scar region and type.

Keyword

Laser therapy; Cicatrix; Surveys and questionnaires