title: The Use of Locally Applied Vibration to Minimize Pain during Fractional CO2Laser Therapy in Living Liver-Donor Scar Management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fractional CO2laser is an effective treatment for scars, but most patients complain about sharp burning pain, even after the application of lidocaine ointment. This study analyzed the impact of a vibrating device to nonpharmacologically reduce the acute pain of laser treatment, in accordance with the gate control theory of pain management.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective study performed from May 2013 through March 2014. Fifty-three patients (mean age, 26.7 years; range, 16-44 years) who had donated livers for liver transplantation were treated with a fractional CO2laser (10,600 nm; model eCO2, Lutronic Corp) for their abdomen scars. Laser treatment was applied 4 months after surgery. A commercially available, locally applied vibrating device (model UM-30M, Unix Electronics Co. Ltd.) was used, in an on-and-off pattern, together with the CO2laser. A visual analogue scale (VAS; 0, no pain; 10, most severe pain) of pain sensation was assessed and statistically analyzed using a paired t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average VAS score for pain with the vibrating device was 4.60 and the average VAS score without the vibrating device was 6.11. The average difference between scores was 1.51 (P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A locally applied vibrating device was demonstrated to be effective in reducing pain when treating with a fractional CO2laser. Vibration treatment could be helpful when treating scars with fractional CO2laser in pain-sensitive patients, particularly children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sinyoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Suk
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Oh
keywords: Lasers; Pain management; Vibration