Suffering a second- or third-degree burn is traumatic enough without having to bear the scars for a lifetime. That’s why Tampa General Hospital offers fractional CO2 laser therapy for adults and children suffering from scars as a result of trauma, burns, surgical incisions, or other causes. Although scars are part of the body’s natural healing process, many don’t enjoy seeing a reminder of a traumatic event on their skin—not to mention, scars can be painful. Thickened scars are difficult to treat since the majority of approaches, such as scar revision and aggressive scar massage, result in a recurrence of the thickened scar.
Fractional CO2 laser therapy, a non-invasive burn scar treatment, breaks down scar tissue to reveal softer and smoother skin along with an increased range of motion. This helps restore the skin’s function, reduces pain, and improves the cosmetic appearance for injured patients. The healing process is much faster than with surgical scar revision and enables patients to return to their normal activities within days.
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.
WHAT TO EXPECT
During this outpatient treatment, the skin reacts to the laser’s beam of light by stimulating growth of new tissue, replacing scar tissue with a new, healthy layer of skin. For the majority of patients, optimal results typically take at least four treatments. The number of treatments and results will vary depending on each patient’s condition.
Both adult and pediatric patients can expect to be sedated during treatment. Our dedicated anesthesia team discusses anesthesia options with patients and/or their parents prior to treatment.
This treatment does not require a physician referral. To schedule an appointment for Laser Clinic services, please call (813) 844-7656.