Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (Jan 2023)
Subcision for Atrophic Acne Scarring: A Comprehensive Review of Surgical Instruments and Combinatorial Treatments
Abstract
Abhinav Vempati,1 Crystal Zhou,1 Curtis Tam,1 Jeffrey Khong,2 Aaron Rubanowitz,3 Kevin Tam,1 Sarah Hazany,1 Ruslan Vasilev,1 Salar Hazany1 1Scar Healing Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 2Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 3Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, NH, USACorrespondence: Abhinav Vempati, Scar Healing Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Tel +1 424 225 2453, Fax +1 310 571 8435, Email [email protected]: Subcutaneous incisionless surgery, also known as subcision, is a minimally invasive procedure that is commonly indicated for the treatment of atrophic acne scars. In recent years, many new techniques have been developed to maximize results from this procedure. This review article aims to identify an updated list of instruments and combinatorial treatments available for atrophic acne scar patients undergoing subcision. We constructed a comprehensive PubMed search term and performed triple-blinded screening on all resulting studies for mentions of subcision as indicated by acne scarring. Our results show that there are four main categories of subcision tools that are commonly employed to treat atrophic acne scars: needles, cannulas, wires, and blunt-blade instruments. Usage of these devices varies by scar depth, personal preference, and combinatorial treatment options. Overall, subcision is a particularly effective treatment for atrophic acne scars, and there is vast potential for further innovation with this technique.Keywords: subcutaneous incisionless surgery, acne scar, depressed scars, CROSS, Taylor liberator
