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Collagen thermal damage and collagen synthesis after cutaneous laser resurfacing
1Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2559, USA.
Background And Objective:
Objectively measure and compare postoperative collagen thermal damage and subsequent new collagen synthesis after cutaneous laser resurfacing using two carbon dioxide laser systems.
Study Design/Materials And Methods:
We created 240 resurfacing wounds on eight piglets with scanned and short-pulsed lasers using the manufacturer's suggested settings. The wounds varied with respect to the number of laser passes and postoperative survival times. Samples were harvested for histological analysis.
Results:
The scanned laser resulted in an average of 52% more collagen thermal damage on the day of surgery (P < 0.0001) and an average of 78% more thermal damage 3 days postoperative (P < 0.0001) than the short-pulsed laser. The amount of new collagen synthesis correlated with the amount of thermal damage, with the scanned laser wounds showing 44% greater new collagen synthesis than the short-pulsed laser wounds on postoperative day 7 (P < 0.0001) and 48% greater new collagen synthesis on postoperative day 14 (P < 0.0001).
Conclusion:
Compared to the short-pulsed laser, the scanned laser results in a greater depth of collagen thermal damage with a correspondingly greater depth of new collagen synthesis after cutaneous resurfacing.