Healing beyond the surface: Ultrapulse CO2 laser brings relief to burn survivors

When someone experiences a burn injury, they are often left with both physical and mental scars from their experience. 

While scars are symbols of immense strength and resilience, depending on the severity, they can also be a source of pain and discomfort.

At Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Regional Burn Center, healthcare providers help patients navigate life with new scars by offering high-quality mental and physical care, including burn scar treatment.

Donors to Ascension Wisconsin Foundation play an important role in making a lot of the advanced care possible at the Burn Center.

Recently, the generosity of donors made it possible to fund an Ultrapulse CO2 Laser, technology used to help the skin recover from burn scarring.

The CO2 laser helps treat burn scars by creating microscopic holes in the scar tissue that signals the body to produce new collagen, and therefore improve the appearance and texture of scarred skin. In addition to helping soften burn scars, CO2 laser treatment can help improve their texture and flexibility and can help decrease itching and discomfort. 

CO2 laser treatment is particularly beneficial to patients with hypertrophic scars, raised scars most commonly caused by complex trauma and severe burns to the skin that result in abnormal healing. 

"The Ultrapulse CO2 laser has made a difference because scarring after a burn is not just a cosmetic issue," shared Nicholas A. Meyer, MD. "For a year or more after a burn, patients often suffer from burn scars that can be tight, thick, pruritic (itchy) and painful.  The laser provides us a method to mitigate these four symptoms of burn hypertrophic scarring. Introducing this laser technology creates an opportunity for our center to pursue cutting-edge research, advancing patient care while driving innovation and growth for our center and organization."

While the CO2 laser heals the physical aspect of scarring, it also helps survivors navigate their emotional healing journey. Burn recovery is more than meets the eye, and thanks to the new CO2 laser treatment, patients are able to receive holistic care that heals the mind, body and spirit.

"The addition of the laser at the Regional Burn Center has already had an incredible impact on the patients we are privileged to serve, offering them a powerful tool in their healing journey," said Andre Storey, FACHE, President, Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Milwaukee. "We take great pride in being a leader in burn care for all of our Eastern Wisconsin communities and are deeply grateful for the generous support of our donors, which makes so much of this possible."

Since its purchase last summer, 21 patients have benefited from this treatment and thanks to the generous support of people like you, many more patients will continue to receive treatment for years to come.