Treatment of post-surgical scars of cheek’s mucosa with Er, Cr: YSGG laser

Background. Bulkiness and unsightly scarring are very common complaints after oral cancer surgical treatment. The scar of cheek can give complications such as: reduced mouth opening or interference with mastication. Both of these complications are particularly sources of discomfort for patient and may cause additional trauma to the treated mucosa.There are several ways to reduce these complications: the most widely used is surgical excision of the scar but this treatment often requires more invasive surgery. Case report. A 58-year-old male patient, treated surgically for a carcinoma in situ in the right cheek, reported to our oral medicine sector after this excision. The patient manifested the presence of some scars in the buccal side of the cheek with reduced mouth opening, reduced mobility of the tongue and interference of scars with mastication. A laser Er, Cr:YSGG was used to reduce the effects of scars by releasing adhesions. It was used a power of 1.5 watts with a pulse duration of 740 ms, an energy of 50 mJ with a frequency of 30 pulses per second. It took three different interventions, although minor, in order to assess the actual improvement in symptoms. In none of the interventions was necessary to give stitches because haemostasis was achieved with the same laser. No drug treatment is needed, as no post-operative pain symptoms was complaining. The complete resolution of symptoms was achieved at the end of treatment. The mouth opening of the patient varied from 26 mm to 36 mm after the treatment. Conclusion. The use of laser Er,CR: YSGG may be a valid approach for the excision of scars of cheek’s mucosa, as it is minimally invasive and offers many clinical advantages (minimal intra-operative bleeding, haemostasis, reduced times of healing).