New laser treatment tackles burn scars

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The UltraPulse Laser , the machine famously used on the scars of three Texas burn victims, is getting more use in Austin.

The laser was installed Thursday at the Escobedo Skin Center in South Austin by Dr. Warren Seiler, a Birmingham, Ala., physician.

"It brings better tone to patients' skin, better texture," said Dr. Seiler. "It makes their skin smoother; it helps them with brown spots and age spots."

After installing the laser, Seiler and Dr. Michael Escobedo turned its beam on the face of Sarah Estapa, who hoped it would help diminish her acne scars. Turns out, scars are perfect candidates for the treatment.

"It's being used at Lackland Air Force Base for the soldiers after they come back from Iraq or Afghanistan," said Escobedo. "They've been burned or their skin's been severely damaged by rocket bombs or bombs at all. This is the one device that can actually break down that scar tissue and give them new function in life."

Indeed, the most spectacular use of the laser so far was on three triplets in their early 20s, who were severely disfigured as toddlers when a fire engulfed their house, killing their mother. The treatment story made national headlines last summer and the Berns sisters were featured in an NBC Today Show report on the procedure. The network is planning a follow up report on the Berns. It is scheduled to air sometime in early November.

Back in South Austin, Estapa occasionally winces and grimaces as the laser raises a series of small white bumps across the entire surface of her face.

"It feels like little bee stings," she says.

"It's something that the patient gets through pretty easily," said Seiler. "It does hurt a little bit, to be honest, but it's very tolerable and usually with a little bit of oral medicine we give them, usually the patient doesn't really remember too much, so that's also good. And the biggest thing about this procedure is that as compared to older procedures, the down time is much less. The amount of redness that they have, the amount of swelling that they have, which you do have a little bit with this procedure, but not anywhere compared to the months worth that you might have had with the kind that we used to do in the operating room."

It is also cheaper than the earlier approach. A facial resurfacing like Estapa received usually requires two treatments at $995 each. That is only half as much, however, as earlier treatments that required four sessions. Patients, however, will pay the entire bill, because insurance plans to do not cover the procedure.

The UltraPulse Laser is also available at eOsDermatology & Med Spa in Austin.