Comparison of Dual-mode ER:YAG Laser in Patients With Long Keloid/Hypertrophic Scars

Skin injuries due to trauma are relatively common, and patients are very concerned about scars caused by trauma and primary repair. Recently, the use of ablative and non-ablative lasers based on the fractional approach has become a novel strategy for the treatment of scars. The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy of dual-mode Er:YAG laser delivering pulses either with and without heat/coagulation in a cohort of patients with long keloid/hypertrophic scars. The main hypothesis is that ablative fractional laser without heat/coagulation is equivalent to laser with heat/coagulation in terms of scars volume reduction, while the secondary hypothesis is that ablative fractional laser without heat/coagulation is superior in terms of post-operative erythema and hypopigmentation reduction.