Akron Children’s physician helps lead national training program for laser treatment of burn scars in India

Dr. Anjay Khandelwal, pictured second from right, recently helped train surgeons in India on laser technology to treat burn scars.

Akron Children’s Adult and Pediatric Burn Institute helped lead India’s first large-scale training program focused on using laser technology to treat burn scars. The program brought together more than 100 plastic surgeons and dermatologists from across India and included lectures, hands-on instruction and live patient demonstrations showing how laser treatment for burn scars can improve the appearance, flexibility and symptoms of hypertrophic burn scars.

With India experiencing one of the highest rates of burn injury in the world, expanding access to modern scar treatments is especially important. By training surgeons across the country, the program aims to extend the impact of this technology to thousands of burn survivors.

Helping expand advanced burn scar treatment in India

Dr. Anjay Khandelwal, burn surgeon and director of the burn center, served as one of the program’s trainers. An early pioneer in the use of laser therapy for burn scars, Dr. Khandelwal began performing laser treatments for burn reconstruction in 2010 and published one of the earliest clinical case series on the technique.

“I spent about a week traveling to 3 cities across India, working alongside surgeons, residents and fellows to share practical techniques for using laser therapy to treat burn scars,” he said. “I’ve been visiting India regularly for burn education and training. As burn care continues to advance there, hospitals are increasingly able to adopt technologies like lasers that can dramatically improve scar outcomes.”

Dr. Khandelwal, who spent a week in India, said the goal wasn’t just to demonstrate the technology, but to teach physicians how to select the right patients and integrate the treatments into their own programs.

Training surgeons to bring laser scar therapy to more patients

Dr. Khandelwal said there was strong interest from burn surgeons across the country – including support from government leaders – to help build training programs in this area.

“The goal wasn’t just to demonstrate the technology, but to teach physicians how to select the right patients and integrate these treatments into their own programs,” he said. “When you train surgeons who care for patients across an entire country, the impact of that education can extend to thousands of burn survivors.”

Laser therapy improving recovery for burn survivors

Laser treatment for burn scars has emerged over the past decade as one of the most important advances in burn scar management. These treatments can soften thick scars, improve mobility, and reduce itching and pain for burn survivors.

“Laser technology has transformed how we approach burn scar reconstruction,” Dr. Khandelwal said. “Being able to share these techniques with colleagues around the world is incredibly meaningful because it helps expand access to treatments that restore mobility, reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for burn survivors.”