The objective of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of laser therapy for the treatment of hypertrophic burn scars. Improvements in scar symptoms following laser treatment were reported in 11 of the 12 included studies. However, issues related to overall quality and risk of bias were present in all studies. As a result, there is insufficient scientific evidence to determine the effectiveness of laser therapy from this systematic review. Future studies that use more rigorous study designs such as randomized controlled trials are needed to support the use of laser therapy for hypertrophic burn scars.
Key points
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Hypertrophic scars are a common complication following a burn injury.
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Different lasers can be used to treat the symptomatic characteristics associated with hypertrophic scars.
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The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of laser therapy for the treatment of hypertrophic scars resulting from a burn injury.