Laser resurfacing complication

A 43-year-old woman had full facial laser resurfacing for treatment of mult iple actinic keratoses and aging skin. Healing was uneventful on most of th e areas treated except the forehead, where a progressive nonhealing wound d eveloped. After seeking numerous consultations around the Southeast, the pa tient came to our facility, 6 months after the initial laser treatment, wit h exuberant granulation tissue of the forehead and temples and a painful wo und Many topical treatments had been previously tried. Debridement and spli t-thickness skin grafting were done using general anesthesia, Pathologic an alysis revealed hyperplastic granulation tissue and epidermal appendages, T he wound healed with an improved aesthetic result. This case illustrates th at seemingly impossible laser complications can be handled by a basic appro ach to wound healing.