Evaluation of Fractional Ablative CO2 LASER in the Management of Linear Depressed Traumatic Scars of the Face in Male Patients

Abstract

n the present study, treatment of traumatic linear scars of the face has been tried in 20 adult men (divided into 2 equal groups) using fractional CO2 laser with a parameter set of 135 mJ, 100 um dot size, 1000 μs pulse width, 0.8 mm dot density, and 9 times overlap in group I and a parameter set of 94.5 mJ, 1260 μs pulse width 600 um dot size, 0.8 dot density and 5 times overlap in group II over 3 sessions at 4 week interval with periodic follow up that ended 2 months after the last session. The study could show fair to good (but statistically significant) reduction in average scar volume in both groups. Percent of reduction in average scar volume in group I was 42.85 % compared to 35.29 % in group II (p< 0.01) with reduction in depth more obvious than reduction in width or length in both groups.