Using ultrapulsed CO2 lasers for the debridement of chronic wounds can improve healing compared to traditional sharp instrument debridement, according to new findings.
“Our study found the ultrapulsed CO2 laser can more effectively decrease wound infection rate, promote an increase in wound blood perfusion, and achieve faster wound healing in the treatment of chronic refractory wounds compared with the traditional sharp instrument/surgical debridement,” said the study's lead author, Dr. Hong Yan, in a press release.
Dr. Yan Hong is the director of plastic and burn surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
The findings come from a study of 47 patients with chronic wounds who had been admitted to the Wound Repair Clinic at The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, between February 2019 and May 2019. Enrolled patients were randomly divided into two groups: in one group the wounds were treated with traditional sharp instrument debridement—a total of 28 wounds, while the other's wounds were treated with ultrapulsed CO2 laser debridement—26 wounds.
Investigators then conducted an intergroup comparison on parameters including wound healing, wound infection control, and changes in wound blood perfusion.
Both the rate of wound healing and the total time to achieve healing were significantly better among the wounds treated with the laser, compared to the sharp tool group, at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the treatment.
Wound exudation scores were also significantly higher in the laser group at each of the time points.
Investigators also found that the positive rate of pre‐debridement bacterial culture was significantly lower in the laser-treated group 14 and 28 days after treatment. Wound perfusion was also better in the laser-treated group.
The findings come from a paper published online ahead of print in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (June 16, 2020).