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LED low-level light therapy reduces scar formation after thyroidectomy

Patients who received a series of light-emitting diode low-level light therapy sessions after thyroidectomy showed improved scar quality compared with a control group, according to recent research.

“The results of this study showed that 14 sessions of 830/590 nm [light-emitting diode low-level light therapy (LED-LLLT)] over 4 weeks at a dose of 60 J/cm² improved scar quality after thyroidectomy to some degree. Complete absence of pain and side effects suggest that this LED-LLLT protocol can be safely used on Asian skin,” Young Joon Park, MD, from the departments of dermatology and surgery at Ajou University School of Medicine in South Korea, and colleagues wrote. “Blinded randomized trials using a sham device, the 590 and 830 nm components as separate arms, and comparative studies with other modalities should be performed to assess the efficacy of 830/590 nm LED-LLLT in more detail.”

Park and colleagues evaluated 35 patients after thyroidectomy with linear suture lines who received 830/590 nm LED-LLLT in the form of 60 J/cm² at 11 minutes for 1 week followed by treatment three times weekly for 3 additional weeks. Follow-up occurred at 1 and 3 months where the researchers used a tri-stimulus-color analyzer and the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) score, global assessment and a subjective satisfaction score to determine scar quality.

Compared with the control group (n = 15), the researchers found decreased lightness and chrome values at 3 months in the LLLT group. Further, there were lower VSS and global assessment scores in the LLLT group compared with the control group. Satisfaction scores between groups, however, were not significantly different.

“The overall results still suggest that 830/590 nm LED-LLLT applied at the parameters and protocol as used in this study could be a useful method for the improvement of scar quality after a thryoidectomy, or other surgical procedures,” the researchers concluded. – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.