Treatment with a 595 nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) can prevent and improve hypertrophic scars in patients with post-thyroidectomy in a cost-effective fashion, a new study shows.

For the study, 19 patients with hypertrophic scars after thyroidectomy underwent eight treatment sessions with the 595 nm PDL at 4- to 6-week intervals. After every two treatment sessions, patients were assessed using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), a patient satisfaction questionnaire, and a 3D skin imaging device.

“Traditional open thyroidectomy approaches through transverse incisions in the neck are still the most commonly used techniques for thyroid cancer surgery, and subsequent visible hypertrophic scars on the neck are the most common cutaneous side effects after thyroid cancer surgery,” says study author You Chan Kim, MD, PhD, in a news release.

 “These cause significant cosmetic problems that result in functional impairment and psychosocial burdens. We investigated the treatment effect of the pulsed dye laser (PDL) on HSs in post-thyroidectomy patients using three-dimensional imaging analysis intending to provide a systemic and optimal treatment protocol.”

PDL effectively reduced scar height, vascularity, and pigmentation in patients with hypertrophic scar post-thyroidectomy using 3D imaging analysis, suggesting a cost-effective treatment plan with the 595 nm PDL.

The study was selected as the Editor’s Choice in the August 2022 issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.