Lumenis Ultra Pulse Laser

The Children’s Hospital Foundation has funded the $278,000 Lumenis Ultra Pulse laser currently being trialed at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

The laser transforms light into heat that can effectively ‘melt away’ old scar tissue and allow new skin to grow in its place.  This treatment has the potential to reduce the appearance of burns scars and improve function in the affected areas.

Five-year-old Charlie Burgess is one of the hundreds of children burned in Queensland every year who could benefit from the burns laser treatment.

He sustained full thickness burns to 36 per cent of his body after he accidentally pulled a deep fryer off the kitchen bench in 2015, covering himself in hot oil. Charlie spent a total of 39 days at the Queensland Children’s Hospital and underwent 11 surgeries for skin grafting and dressing changes and will need ongoing treatments for many years to come to manage his scarring as he grows.

It’s hoped the introduction of the laser technology will reduce the number of surgical interventions children like Charlie will need in the future by making the tight areas of scarring softer and more pliable.

Read more about Charlie’s story