Ablative fractional laser treatment of hypertrophic burn and traumatic scars: a systematic review of the literature.

Hypertrophic scars (HTS) following burns and other trauma and are associated with significant functional and psychosocial impairment. Ablative fractional lasers (AFLs) are increasingly being applied in the treatment of HTS supported by a rapidly expanding multidisciplinary base of literature. The multidisciplinary authors sought to evaluate existing literature, provide context and identify gaps, and make recommendations for a path forward.

Fractional Ablative Laser Therapy is an Effective Treatment for Hypertrophic Burn Scars: A Prospective Study of Objective and Subjective Outcomes.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine objective and subjective changes in mature hypertrophic burn scars treated with a fractional ablative carbon dioxide (CO2) laser.

Background: Fractional CO2 laser treatment has been reported to improve burn scars, with increasing clinical use despite a paucity of controlled, prospective clinical studies using objective measures of improvement.

Methods: A multicenter, site-controlled, prospective open-label study was conducted from 2013 to 2016.