Patient Satisfaction and Reported Long-Term Therapeutic Efficacy Associated with 1,320 nm Nd:YAG Laser Treatment of Acne Scarring and Photoaging ASHISH C. BHATIA, Ãy JEFFREY S. DOVER, yz§ KENNETH A. ARNDT , yz§z BRIGITTE STEWART y , AND MURAD ALAM Ã BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Nonablative laser treatments have become increasingly used for the treatment of acne scarring and photoaging. While nonablative laser treat- ments are more convenient and relatively safer than ablative laser resurfacing, efficacy and patient satisfaction with the level of improvement of textural abnormalities in acne scarring and rhytids associated with photoaging needs further study. DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS Structured interviews were performed with 34 pa- tients from a referral-based academic practice who each previously received a series of 6 monthly treatments with a 1,320 nm neodymium:yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Nd:YAG) laser for treatment of acne scarring or photoaging. Topical anesthesia was applied 1 hour before each treatment. Patients were interviewed at least 3 months after cessation of treatment (range 3–12 months). RESULTS Patients tolerated the treatments well. Combined results for acne scarring and photoaging patients were as follows: (a) patient satisfaction with treatment was rated at 62%, and (b) textural improvement was reported at 31% at the end of the six treatments, and 30% at the date of interview. When results were stratified by diagnosis, patient sat- isfaction was slightly higher for treatment of acne scarring than for photoaging. Overall degree of improvement on a 1–10 scale was 5.4 for acne scarring and 3.8 for wrinkling. CONCLUSION Nonablative treatment with the 1,320nm Nd:YAG laser induced significant patient-reported improvement in both acne scarring and photoaging. The majority of patients reported satisfaction with the degree of improvement. The authors have no financial interest in the company. The manufacturer provided no materials or equipment for the study. The statistical analysis was conducted by an independent organ- ization and was funded by CoolTouch Corporation. T he ever increasing number of nonablative resurfacing de- vices coupled with patients’ desire for convenient treatments for acne scarring and photoaging induced facial rhytids has resulted in non- ablative resurfacing becoming a frequently performed procedure. This treatment modality offers several advantages to patients and physicians over the rapid efficacy of traditional ablative laser resur- facing. These benefits include minimal downtime, gradual im- provement in lieu of relatively sudden effects, as well as a reduced chance of scarring or pigmentary changes. The inconveniences of epidermal ablation and open wounding are also avoided. Nonablative rejuvenation systems stimulate dermal collagen re- modeling using wavelengths that penetrate to the dermis and con- comitant tissue cooling to limit & 2006 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc.  Published by Blackwell Publishing  ISSN: 1076-0512  Dermatol Surg 2006;32:346–352  DOI: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2006.32071.x 346 Ã Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois; y SkinCare Physicians of Chestnut Hill, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; z Section of Dermatologic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; y Department of Medicine (Dermatology), Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire; z Division of Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts