Conference Coverage

VIDEO: Battlefield lessons improve treatment of traumatic scars


 

AT THE AAD ANNUAL MEETING

DENVER – Military dermatologists have played an active role in helping wounded warriors with their scars, and those physicians’ practices, including the use of ablative fractional resurfacing, are now entering the civilian world to treat injuries from fire, car crashes, or blasts.

Earlier this year, a group of dermatologists published a consensus report to highlight best practices for laser treatment of traumatic scars. The groups, which included several military dermatologists, concluded that "laser treatment, particularly ablative fractional resurfacing, deserves a prominent role in future scar treatment paradigms, with the possible inclusion of early intervention for contracture avoidance and assistance with wound healing."

In a video interview at the American Academy of Dermatology’s annual meeting, Lt. Col. Chad M. Hivnor, USAF, MC, FS, USA, a staff dermatologist for the San Antonio (Tex.) Military Health System, discussed the use of lasers in treating traumatic scars, talked about the psychology of scars, and shared a few of his own practice pearls.

The video associated with this article is no longer available on this site. Please view all of our videos on the MDedge YouTube channel.

nmiller@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @naseemmiller

Recommended Reading

Discoloration of the tongue
MDedge Family Medicine
VIDEO: Vitiligo gene hunt could open door to eventual drug treatment
MDedge Family Medicine
‘Culture of Safety’ best defense against sharps injury
MDedge Family Medicine
FDA approves omalizumab for chronic idiopathic urticaria
MDedge Family Medicine
FDA approves PDE-4 inhibitor for treating psoriatic arthritis
MDedge Family Medicine
VIDEO: Don’t be afraid to treat acne in pregnant patients
MDedge Family Medicine
VIDEO: Ivermectin shows promise for treating papulopustular rosacea
MDedge Family Medicine
Novel agent for papulopustular rosacea found safe, effective in phase III trials
MDedge Family Medicine
Tofacitinib found noninferior to etanercept for treating psoriasis
MDedge Family Medicine
Psoriatic pruritus improves with TrkA-blocking drug
MDedge Family Medicine