The role of fractional CO₂ laser and lipofilling in optimizing aesthetic outcomes of post burn scars: a comparative study

Post-burn scars are one of the most common consequences that influence patients’ quality of life following burns. Many treatments have been demonstrated to be helpful in the treatment of post-burn scars, including ablative fractional CO₂ laser (AFCL) and lipofilling. However, few research has been conducted to determine the effect of combining these measures. The present study aimed to assess the effects of AFCL when it’s combined with lipofilling for post burn scars management.

This was a prospective study of 20 patients with post burn scars, they were managed by scar splitting, all the scar was treated by lipofilling then scar was split into 2 equal segments. Segment A remained as a control and Segment B received AFCL session after one week of lipofilling. The evaluation was conducted 3 months after the final treatment session by clincal, histopathological and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) evaluation.

Both scar segments showed statistically significant improvements according to the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS). However, the degree of improvement was not significantly different between the two scar segments. Histological and Immunohistochemical analysis revealed similar skin regeneration, improving in collagen density and arrangement, and increase in vessels density in both segments.

This study demonstrated that lipofilling enhances the clinical outcomes of post-burn scars. However, the addition of AFCL to lipofilling did not yield greater effectiveness compared to lipofilling alone.

Level III, therapeutic study.