Keeping Burn recovery moving

Middlemore Hospital’s National Burns Centre cares for some of New Zealand’s most seriously injured burn patients. Even after the initial wounds have healed, scarring can continue to cause pain, itching and tightness, restricting movement and making everyday activities more difficult.

Thanks to funding from New Horizons Community Trust, the National Burns Centre now has a new CO₂ laser scanner, allowing patients to continue receiving advanced treatment to manage scarring, improve movement and support their long-term recovery.

“Patients can be here for six to eight months. It’s a long journey,” says Dr Paul Baker, Clinical Lead for Burns.

For many patients, rehabilitation continues long after they leave hospital. As scars mature, they can become tight and restrictive, affecting movement and function. Specialist scar treatment is an important part of helping patients regain as much independence and quality of life as possible.

A different approach to scar treatment

Ablative fractional CO₂ laser therapy uses thousands of tiny channels to treat scar tissue. This helps soften and remodel the scar, making it more pliable and stretchy. For patients, that can mean improved movement and function, as well as relief from symptoms such as itching and pain.

Importantly, some of the benefits can be felt very quickly. “One of the great things is the immediate improvement in itch. Patients can notice a difference the same day or the next day,” says Dr Baker.

The laser can also provide an alternative to traditional surgical scar release. While surgery can be effective, it involves creating larger wounds that may take weeks to heal. Laser treatment can achieve similar improvements in scar flexibility over a series of sessions, with much faster healing and less disruption to everyday life.

“That means less time off work and less time worrying about wet bandages in the shower,” says Dr Baker.

For patients whose scars restrict movement, improving the flexibility of the scar can make a meaningful difference to what they are able to do – from moving more freely to returning to work and taking part in everyday family life.

Keeping recovery on track

More than a decade ago, Middlemore Foundation funded a CO₂ laser scanner for the Burns Service thanks to the Sir William and Lady Manchester Trust. After years of intensive use, the original scanner stopped working and urgently needed replacing.

Without a replacement, 26 patients who were already part-way through their rehabilitation would have been unable to continue their treatment. This was particularly concerning because scar tissue can contract and thicken as it matures. Delaying treatment can make scars more difficult to manage and can affect long-term movement and function.

The new Deep FX Bridge Therapy Micro Scanner, funded with support from New Horizons Community Trust, means patients can continue their treatment without putting their recovery on hold.

“The laser gives them the best outcome. The quality of their survival is significantly improved,” says Dr Baker.

For burn survivors, recovery is about more than surviving the initial injury. It’s about regaining movement, reducing pain and itching, returning to work and family life, and getting back to everyday activities.

Thank you, New Horizons Community Trust, for helping burn survivors move forward with their recovery.