Scar No More

Created on 12th January 2009

Cosmetic Surgery Magazine UK is committed to bringing you the latest products on the market. We investigate the EkkyLite LASH system that aims to eliminate scarring following surgery

For many years, surgeons and medical companies alike have been working tirelessly to develop techniques and products that will either reduce or eliminate scarring following surgery and now it would seem
French company Ekkyo have finally done it.

The surgeons at Ekkyo have advanced previous work on the use of lasers in skin closure and Laser Assisted Skin Healing (LASH) and have developed an amazing handheld laser system that can virtually eliminate scarring following surgery.

The laser system devised by Ekkyo is in two parts. The first being a handheld, battery operated laser device and the second being a ‘smart strip’ that controls the dose delivered by the laser unit. This ‘smart strip’
looks very much like a tape measure and has markings every two centimetres along its length. Within each of these two centimetre sections there is a microchip which has two functions.

The ‘smart strip’ first tells the laser device the dose to deliver to the patient and then registers that the area has been treated. Should the surgeon try to re-treat the same area, the microchip displays a warning
on the laser device telling the surgeon that the area has already been treated.

The EkkyLite LASH system is used by surgeons in theatre at the time of performing the surgery and takes only ten seconds per two centimetres
treated. There is no discomfort to the patient and only one treatment is needed.

The EkkyLite works by heating the treatment zone using an 810nm diode laser. This innovative technology aims to stimulate the natural regeneration mechanisms of he skin, initiated at the critical moment of wound closure. Precisely applied at this phase,the controlled increasing of temperature triggers heat stress which reduces inflammation, improves the scar healing process, increases the tension resistance of the wound and reduces the residual scarring.

Surgeons working with Ekkyo in France have proven the technology with a pilot clinical trial which focused on the use of the EkkyLite system for the treatment of patients undergoing abdominoplasty procedures or tummy tucks. Dr Gwenaëlle Larmarcovai, head of Ekkyo’s clinical trials, said “The results of this study are very encouraging; they validate our approach from the view point of safety and efficacy in a difficult clinical context of abdominal plasty that usually leaves unsightly long scars; they impact patients’ self-esteem and decrease the benefits of the surgical intervention.”

The EkkyLite laser can be used on any straight, newly created scar and is carried out at the time of the original surgery while the patient is anaesthetised so there is absolutely no discomfort associated with it. Once the surgeon has closed their incision, they apply the self adhesive
‘smart strip’ to the patient’s skin one centimetre below the closed incision. The surgeon then positions the chip

reader portion of the handheld laser device on the smart strip which communicates the correct dose based on the patient’s skin type.

The surgeon then ‘fires’ the laser for a measured ten second dose. Once the laser has been fired for ten seconds, the ‘smart strip’ registers this and will not allow the same section of scar to be treated again. The surgeon then moves to the next two centimetre section and repeats the process. In this fashion a ten centimetre scar would be treated in about two minutes and the treatment would cost in the region of £150.

The patient should not expect to see the results immediately,however patients who had sections of their scars treated as a part of the clinical trial suggested that the treated areas caused less discomfort as the wound healed. Although some benefits are apparent shortly after treatment, the full benefits of the EkkyLite treatment become apparent 10–14 months post operatively where treated wounds can show little or no sign of visible scarring.

EkkyLite can also be used for scar revision in patients who have suffered from bad scarring.In this case, the surgeon would excise the original scar and re-close the wound. They would then treat the wound and the resulting scar would be an mprovement over the original scar.

The EkkyLite system is being introduced to the UK by Advantech Surgical Ltd which is a Hampshire-based surgical device company specialising in the introduction of innovative products for the aesthetic and reconstructive markets. The EkkyLite system is currently being trialled by several high profile plastic surgeons in London and is expected to be widely available in the new year.

Ben Sharples, Director of Advantech Surgical, said “as distributors of some of the most exciting and revolutionary products currently available for cosmetic surgery, we are not easily impressed but when we saw the EkkyLite presented at the recent British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons meeting we were astonished. The results that this system provides are like nothing I’ve ever seen before and I am extremely excited to be involved in bringing the benefits of the EkkyLite to the British public.”

While this is a very exciting product, it is important to realise that in cosmetic surgery no results can be guaranteed and the EkkyLite is no different. People’s bodies all react differently but the beauty of EkkyLite is that it offers at worst a reduction of scar formation, and possibly virtually no visible scarring at an affordable price with no discomfort or fllow up visits to your surgeon and no risk of adverse reactions or side affects