The Effect of Fractional Laser for the Treatment of Scarring After Burn
Presently, there are no methods in medicine to completely remove the third degree burn scars. The current preferred methods of treatment is microsurgical flaps, the expander (tissue expansion by balloon) method, and grafts. In some cases, it may be impossible to be able to apply these treatment methods.
In these instances, carbon dioxide laser, microneedling radiofrequency, Erbium laser, or fractional laser may be used. Using a fractional laser, the swollen scars can be softened and reduced and redness can be improved. Moreover, laser is also quite effective at softening grafts and reducing sequelae that occurred during the burn. For best results, burn treatment with lasers usually requires at least 3 sessions.
Stem Cell/Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine is an exciting emerging field in medicine that uses stem cell therapy to develop new living tissue to replace and repair diseased tissue.
Gene technology has been in the headlines for decades and has made rapid progress over the years. Expanding human skin cells in cell culture or grafting skin cells to treat burns and wounds has become the modern day technology. Furthermore, the Nobel Prize for reprogramming mature cells into pluripotent stem cells was awarded in this decade showing the rapid progression of the field in this century. This exciting new method has a broad potential in the treatment of many diseases and is being studied at the top-tier hospitals/institutions.
When treating disease, conventional drug therapies has off-target or secondary effects and effect multiple tissues in the body. With stem cell therapy, treatment of the diseased tissue/organ is more precise with less side effects. The goal of the cell therapy is to cure/treat the complication in one or two applications, which would reduce life-long medication therapy and increase the overall quality of life.
Regenerative medicine is a process used to create living functional tissue and use it in to repair the tissues that have lost their function due to age, disease, damage, or congenital disorders.
In regenerative medicine, success is gauged in two ways:
- For aided self-healing: damaged tissues or organs regenerative (stem) cells are administered by various methods(surgical and chemical signal transduction mechanisms)
- Three-dimensional organ growth and transplant: If regenerative stem cell transplantation fails this may serve to increase the ability to receive an organ transplant at a time where donor organ transplant is scarce.
This new discipline of medical treatment requires that clinical and basic research scientist work together to implement these regenerative medical practices.
Era of regenerative medicine and stem cell
Incredible developments have been made on the basis of cell and stem cells.
Furthermore, we have discovered that these cells not only have the power to regenerate their host tissue or organ, but they also can be driven to create other organs.
Stem cell therapy has become a popular method. Young cells deriving from stem cell therapy are re-injected to the skin. This therapy is typically repeated in 3 sessions with intermittent one month intervals. We are happy to announce that a 10-year rejuvenation can be achieved with stem cell therapy.
PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma):
PRP has been routinely used in Dermatology to facilitate skin rejuvenation and prevent hair loss. PRP therapy requires at least 3 sessions with intermittent 2- to 3-week intervals. Although positive effects are evident immediately after the first application, permanent outcomes are obtained at the end of last session.
Re-cell and Cell Spray Treatment
Following its use in many other countries, cell spray technology has become a method used in Turkish Medicine. A special designed kit can be prepared in only 30 minutes without the need for specific laboratory procedures by a doctor.
Spray cell technology can be used for burns and the risk of lesion (scar) is minimized. Moreover, it is possible to cover a wide treatment zone from a small biopsy, which takes place on the small healthy part of the patient’s own skin. The application gives a result between 1 and 3 months.