The clinical application of ultra-pulsed CO2 laser skin abrasion combined with micro-skin grafting in the treatment of skin depigmentation

Objective To explore the clinical application of ultra-pulsed CO2 laser skin abrasion combined with micro-skin graft in the treatment of skin depigmentation. Methods From January 2010 to June 2014, depigmented skin specimens were used for ultra-pulsed CO2 laser skin abrasion treatment, at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 mJ. HE stain was performed to observe the abrasion depth under the 100 times microscope view. The most appropriate parameter was set to completely remove the epidermis, and leave dermis undamaged. From January 2011 to December 2017, 16 patients with skin depigmentation, 12 males and 4 females, aged 12-47 years, were treated with super-pulsed carbon dioxide laser and autologous microdermis transplantation. At 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the operation, patients′ photos were record. The color improvement was analyzed using Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software. Results The laser energy for complete epidermis removal is different at different sites. It is 50 mJ for back skin, 40 mJ for face and hand skin and 30 mJ for neck skin. After one year of follow-up, there was no hypertrophy scar caused by over-abrasion in all 16 patients. Combined with the micro-skingrafting, 15 patients with skin depigmentation were completely resolved, with more than 90%color improvement rate. The improvement rate was 75% in a patient with un-uniform appearance, due to part failure of micro-skin graft. The neck movement and uncertain fixation were the reasons. Conclusions The appropriate energy parameters can control the abrasion depth to avoid the hypertrophic scar. Combined with micro-skin graft, the depigmentation area can be improved with uniform color and reliable effect. Key words: Carbon dioxide laser therapy; Exfoliation; Depigmentation; Pigment cells; Granular skin grafting