POSTOPERATIVE CARE FOLLOWING CARBON-DIOXIDE LASER RESURFACING - AVOIDING PITFALLS

Facial skin resurfacing using the carbon dioxide laser has become an i ncreasingly popular procedure. Improvements in carbon dioxide laser te chnology have made the procedure simpler and more reliable. However, d ifficulties and problems in the postoperative period can lead to patie nt morbidity and physician anxiety. The authors have performed laser r esurfacing in almost 2,000 patients in the last 4 years. Problems enco untered and methods formulated to minimize postoperative complications are discussed. (C) 1998 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surg ery, Inc.