Dr. Jeffrey T Heckman, DO

Laser Therapy

for Scarring and Fibrosis in Amputees

Veterans who use prosthetic limbs commonly suffer from skin problems such as scars that create discomfort and pain to the point that wearing the prosthesis is no longer tolerable. The Veteran must then discontinue prosthetic use to allow healing prior to wearing the limb again. Current treatments for skin problems include manual scar mobilization and massage, stretching, desensitization techniques, pain medication, prosthetic adjustment, steroid injection, scar excision and others. Most of these have not proven to be a long-term solution. A dermatologic procedure common in non-amputees for scar and skin lesion management, fractionated laser therapy, may be a long-term solution minimizing discomfort, pain and time out of the prosthesis. This preliminary study seeks to determine if fractional laser therapy can improve prosthetic use, and quality of life of Veterans with amputation who use lower limb prostheses.