Wounds and scars and associated healing processes

It is often a protracted process: Wound and scar therapy require patience from patients and that they stick to their treatments. Regardless of whether the wound is the result of an accident or surgery – healing follows the same mechanisms. After blood clotting and after scabbing, a more or less severe inflammatory response occurs after approx. 48 hours have passed. Then the actual wound healing starts, which results in the formation of granulate tissue or a tissue bud in the lower connective tissue. The number of inflammatory cells drops and the increase of collagen and blood vessels can be observed. The re-epithelialization, i.e. the new formation of tissue covering the outer skin of the body is possible thanks to the stem cells in the epidermis.

Wound healing may take longer depending on the individual case, especially with older, multimorbid patients. Confocal laser scanning microscopy can facilitate monitoring even complex and problematic wounds and checking for epidermal regrowth. The gentle and immediate method offered by VivaScopes is suitable for wound monitoring of the upper skin layers and to check therapy success.

In case of burn victims, the use of a VivaScope makes it possible to qualitatively and quantitatively distinguish between superficial burns (second degree) and severe wounds on the verge of third-degree burns and therefore requiring immediate medical attention. It is especially these types of cases where the pain-free, non-invasive, and immediate method is the key advantage for traumatised patients.

If a scar is removed due to aesthetic reasons, an examination with the VivaScope helps the aesthetic provider to check the progression and success of the therapy.

[1] Hlava P, Moserova J, Konigova R: “Validity of clinical assessment of the depth of a thermal injury.” Acta chirurgiae plasticae. 1983; 25: 202-208.
[2] Altintas MA, Altintas AA, Guggenheim M et al.: “Differentiation of superficial-partial vs. deep-partial thickness burn injuries in vivo by confocal-laser-scanning microscopy.” Burns. 2008; DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2008.05.003.

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