Combined Laser Improves Scar Outcome (CLIPSO)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study assessing combined pulsed dye and fractional carbon dioxide laser on burn scar outcomes versus standard care
IRAS ID
301064
Contact name
Christopher Lewis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
Hypertrophic (HT) scars following burn injury have an incidence ranging from 30-70% in reviewed data. These scars are red, lumpy and firm and have the potential to severity affect daily quality of life, causing itch, dryness, pain and restriction of joint movement during activities of daily living. Fundamentally, these scars may have a significant physical and psychological impact during rehabilitation, leading to stigmatization.
Advances in acute burn surgical care now means that more people survive major burn injuries, equating to more patients with HT burn scars. However, the optimum treatment for HT scar treatment remains to be elucidated. Different treatment modalities are available for scar treatment, including silicone, corticosteroid injection and compression. Laser therapy is a relatively new modality for the treatment of HT burn scars and is used in burn centres Worldwide for this capacity.
Two lasers show particular promise in the treatment of HT scars: the 595nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) and the 10,600nm ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser (AFCO2L). Both lasers have been used individually and in combination for burn scar treatment. PDL is typically used to help reduce erythema and pruritus, while AFCO2L is used to improve scar texture and thickness.
The aim of this study is to combine both laser treatments to investigate if the early use of combination laser treatment helps improve HT burn scar appearance (colour/texture) and associated symptoms including itch. There is a paucity of high-quality data regarding the combined use of PDL and AFCO2L, both in terms of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and blinded observer scar assessment. This feasibility study will serve to inform a larger multi-centre RCT in terms of study power, outcome measure frequency and whether treatment streams can be refined.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/YH/0153
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion