CLINICAL EVALUATION OF LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY IN SKIN WOUND HEALING IN MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY.

Background: Wound healing is a complicated, interactive, integrative
process involving cellular and chemotactic activity, the release of chemical mediators and associated vascular response which includes number of phases: inflammatory phase, proliferative phase and remodeling phase. Low level laser therapy can be more effective in the three overlapping phases of wound healing. Biostimulation appears to have an effect on the cellular level, by increasing cellular function and stimulating various cells.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of low level diode laser on wound healing of human skin clinically.
Patients and Methods: This study was performed on 20 patients (10 male, 10 female) age range between 5-75 years with oral and maxillofacial lesions underwent maxillofacial surgery with low level laser therapy. After the surgical intervention, the wounds were divided into two parts,
one part was irradiated by 1.25 W/cm2 power density, 50 sec. exposure time low level diode laser and other part was left as a control. The postoperative course was evaluated based on subjective scale of edema, redness at 2nd -5th day postoperatively.
Results: Clinical evaluation of edema and redness were recorded at 2nd -5th day. Edema was obviously reduced in laser treated wounds in 14 patients. Redness was slightly increased in laser treated wounds in 15 patients. Finer scar in laser treated wound appeared as compared with wide scar in control wound.
Conclusion: Low level laser therapy causes edema-reducing effects and a little effect on a neovascularization at 2nd day after surgical intervention and minimal or fine scar formation.
Key words: Wound healing, Biostimulation, Low level laser therapy.