USE OF BIOBRANE AFTER LASER RESURFACING

BACKGROUND. Laser skin resurfacing has become an ever more popular and effective technique for the treatment of photoaged skin. Often a prol onged postoperative healing period adversely affects patient and physi cian satisfaction. Erythema and a certain degree of patient discomfort are often believed to be inevitable as they are thought to reflect de pth of wounding and consequently the efficacy of wrinkle removal. In a ddition, a high incidence of irritant contact dermatitis has been obse rved, complicating recovery. OBJECTIVE. TO develop a simplified wound dressing protocol aimed at achieving mild, short-term erythema and min imal side effects following effective rhytidectomy performed by laser resurfacing. METHODS. In a retrospective study from September 1995 to May 1997, 85 patients undergoing laser resurfacing for rhytid removal were placed on a postoperative wound care protocol consisting of immed iate postsurgical once-only application, for 6 days, of Biobrane, a bi osynthetic semipermeable dressing followed by the topical use of only a 10% cartilage extract in ointment. RESULTS. Thirty-eight full-face/t hree-quarter face, 26 supralabial, 13 perioral, and eight lower eyelid /crow's feet cosmetic units were treated. The fine and course wrinkles were improved in most patients, comparing favorably with other report ed series. In 94% of patients erythema was absent to light pink at 4 w eeks. Mild pain necessiting a medication was used in only five patient s. Twenty-six patients developed transient hyperpigmentation and three patients developed focal hypopigmentation. Delayed irritant contact d ermatitis presented in three patients. No infections developed and no scarring was observed. CONCLUSION. With this wound healing protocol, c arbon dioxide laser skin resurfacing can effectively improve facial rh ytids with minimal to insignificant erythema or discomfort. (C) 1998 b y the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc.