Merit Health Burn Program Adds New Laser, Adcock Named Program Director
10/10/2017
William C. Lineaweaver, MD, FACS, medical director of the Joseph M. Still (JMS) Burn & Reconstruction Center at Merit Health Central, has named David W. Adcock, MD, director of the center’s Laser and Reconstruction program.
Dr. Adcock joined the burn program in July 2015 and has 21 years of laser experience in both research and therapeutic uses. Lasers are used for scar revision and other applications, including cosmetic treatments, and can improve the appearance, texture, color and thickness of scars associated with burns, trauma, surgery, and skin conditions such as acne. There is usually minimal discomfort associated with laser treatment, and it can be effective years after a patient has experienced an injury.
Burns and traumatic wounds typically cause the worst scarring and can be a challenge to treat, requiring high levels of care and expertise. “Having this form of treatment, which uses a focused beam of light, stimulates the deep layer of the scar to form new skin, remodeling the old scar,” Dr. Adcock said. “We are excited to now offer laser treatment of scars to our patients, not only for their physical healing, but for their emotional healing as well.”
One benefit of laser scar therapy is that it is a minimally invasive treatment which stimulates the natural healing mechanisms of the skin. The time needed to see improvement depends on the depth and extent of the scar; some scars will respond with up to 4 treatments, whereas others may require up to 10 treatment sessions. Each laser treatment takes from 5 minutes up to an hour to complete, and is performed under anesthesia.
Dr. Adcock completed medical school as well as his plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship and residency at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn, and his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, Ohio. He is board certified in plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Adcock, please call (877) 863-9595.
The JMS Burn and Reconstruction Center at Merit Health Central cares for burns, hand and peripheral nerve injuries, and a wide range of other problems within the scope of modern reconstructive surgery. The center admits over 800 patients a year, manages over 7,000 annual clinic visits and performs over 2,000 surgical procedures each year. Patients are referred from all over the Southeast for comprehensive care. The center also supports clinical and basic science research aimed at the continued improvement of patient outcomes.
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