Combined Non-Ablative Laser and Microfat Grafting for Burn Scar Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Burn scar treatment persists as an unsolved problem, involving thousands of affected patients disfigured for life.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to present our experience with the use of combined treatments for patients with burn scars.

METHODS: This was a case series report of the senior author's experience during 8 years utilizing the combined treatments of Fraxel Restore (fractional laser) and microfat graft injection for 288 patients with burn scars.

RESULTS: Laser treatment reduced scar intensity and attenuated skin irregularities and hyperpigmentation. All patients demonstrated marked improvement of skin texture and an increase in scar softness after 3 sessions of microfat grafting. However, the degree of improvement varied between patients and was related to the severity of the scar and the type of tissue. Overall, a 40% to 80% improvement was noted in our patients. All patients and their families expressed satisfaction with the results.

CONCLUSIONS: The combined treatment of Fraxel and microfat grafting is an effective technique for improving the appearance of a hypertrophic scar or keloid on burn patients. Fat tissue stem cells may have helped to repair the damaged skin.