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Impact of SkinCare Physicians’ Boston Marathon Project Heal: Six months later

Everyone at SkinCare Physicians was shocked and saddened when we heard about the bombing at the Boston Marathon and the severe injuries that so many had suffered.  We wanted to be able to contribute something helpful to those who were injured and launched Boston Marathon Project Heal, an initiative that allows our doctors to provide free laser treatments of scars to victims of the Boston Marathon.

Boston Marathon Project Heal: A long term commitment to the victims

Since the time in late April that we announced our Boston Marathon Project Heal program, we have seen 15 of those who were injured and have administered approximately 20 treatments.  Some individuals have already noted marked improvement in scar appearance.

One of them, Lee Ann Yanni, sustained wounds to her right leg and a broken fibula. A graft from her thigh was taken to cover the wound site lower on her left leg. On her first visit to SkinCare Physicians, the red graft donor site was treated with the pulsed dye laser, and as can be seen in the middle photograph, all of the redness disappeared within a month. The other sites lower on her legs were treated with both the pulsed dye and fractional carbon dioxide lasers, and these areas have flattened out and become much paler with the four treatments she has had at monthly intervals.

“I heard about Skincare physicians shortly after the marathon bombings through emails from my co-workers,” commented Lee Ann. “I thought it was such an amazing gesture of kindness to offer such services to help us aesthetically and functionally heal. I absolutely love everyone at Skincare Physicians! Everyone has been so nice and caring and interested in how we, as humans, are doing and not just as “bombing victims”. The fact that they are so interested in trying new things to make us better is so comforting!”

In spite of her injuries, after a lot work and hard training, Lee Ann just ran and completed the Chicago Marathon! Congratulations to her!

While the scar appearance of some patients who were injured in the Boston Marathon bombing has already improved, successful long term results usually require a series of exposures. We plan to continue seeing these patients intermittently for the indefinite future until we are all satisfied that we have achieved maximum benefit.

Advances in scar laser treatments at SkinCare Physicians

Due to our interest and expertise in lasers, aesthetic issues, and the treatment of scarring we are quite aware of recent developments in laser photomedicine. These emerging laser treatments can modify and improve the appearance of scarring and dramatically alter the flexibility of areas which had been damaged.  Many of the recent advances in technology and techniques were developed by a colleague who had trained at SkinCare Physicians and is now very involved in the Wounded Warrior Project.  He and colleagues around the country have found that the innovative use of fractional resurfacing lasers is able to dramatically alter the character of scars.  Not only do scars become less red and irregular, but the flexibility of otherwise frozen or scarred down areas is increased. This allows those areas affected to become much more flexible, less “bound-down”, and those injured to become able to freely move again their limbs, digits or other areas that were damaged.  Along with these resurfacing lasers, pulsed dye lasers have long been known to diminish the redness of scarring and bring about some improvement in texture.

We are all gratified that Boston Marathon Project Heal enables us to be useful in some small way to these unfortunate victims of violence. For more information, read “How SkinCare Physicians helps those injured with scars”, call (617) 731-1600 or contact us online.

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