At the 2nd Conference on Advances in Scar Treatment Technology, Dr. He Wen from BAKANG Medical Chengdu presented a special topic titled "From Experience-Based Assessment to Precise Prognosis—A Digital Precision Evaluation System for Scar Diagnosis and Treatment." She shared some of BAKANG's explorations in the objective quantification of scars, starting from the practical problems encountered in clinical settings.

During her presentation, Dr. He mentioned that current scar assessments mainly rely on scales such as VSS and POSAS. These tools have helped to some extent in clinical judgment but also have their limitations.

The example shown is the VSS scale (Vancouver Scar Scale).

For instance, different doctors may interpret "slightly red" and "obviously red" differently, leading to subjective variations in scoring. If a patient's scar thickness decreases by 1 millimeter after treatment, the score may remain unchanged within the same grade, making it difficult to accurately capture the treatment effect.

Another common issue is the prediction of recurrence risk. Doctors may judge that "the probability of recurrence is low," but patients often want more objective evidence. Similarly, if there is a risk of recurrence, there is a lack of effective quantitative methods to identify and intervene early.

Additionally, for new wounds formed after surgery or burns, different doctors may have varying opinions on which ones are likely to develop into hypertrophic scars. Relying solely on experience to persuade patients to accept early intervention is not very convincing.

To address these issues, BAKANG has attempted to establish a digital evaluation system in clinical practice. This system is supported by two key technologies:

First, multimodal non-invasive imaging acquisition. The equipment does not need to touch the skin, and a single shot can capture nine dimensions and over twenty indicators of the scar, including thickness, area, volume, subcutaneous blood flow, and pigment distribution, with measurement errors controlled within 0.1 millimeters.

Second, artificial intelligence algorithms for auxiliary analysis. The development team, based on over 40,000 follow-up cases accumulated by BAKANG and combined with clinical experience, has repeatedly trained and calibrated the algorithms. The system can output specific quantitative parameters and align with international scoring standards such as VSS, POSAS, and JSS, to assist in judging scar hyperactivity and recurrence risk.

This system has a low operational threshold; medical staff only need to take photos, and the system will automatically analyze and generate results, with data being archived in real time. It is applicable to scars on the head, face, trunk, and limbs.

Dr. He introduced the initial applications of this system in three scenarios through case examples:

Tracking recovery during treatment. The system records the patient's initial scar data and re-collects data after staged treatments. Changes in thickness, blood supply, and color improvement are presented in numerical form, allowing patients to see the progress clearly and enabling doctors to adjust subsequent treatment plans based on the data.

Risk screening in the early stages of wound healing. For newly healed wounds, the traditional approach is to wait and observe. This system can collect data early and analyze the risk of hypertrophy through algorithms. If local blood flow signals are significantly high, the system indicates a higher risk, and doctors can recommend early intervention based on this information.

Long-term monitoring after treatment. During the follow-up phase, the system continuously records data from each examination. If local blood flow increases or thickness slightly rises, the system will alert the follow-up personnel to contact the patient for a re-examination and further management.

Dr. He believes that this system provides new reference tools for clinical practice.

For doctors, the system offers higher measurement precision and better data reproducibility compared to traditional scales, aiding in stratified assessment and prognosis. The detection data can be integrated into hospital medical records, facilitating clinical archiving and research collaboration.

For patients, the comparison of before and after images and quantitative data make the treatment effects more visible, enhancing treatment confidence. The system also automatically schedules follow-up appointments, reducing the likelihood of missed follow-ups.

For the industry, this system represents some exploration in the objective quantification of scars. BAKANG is open to collaborating with various medical institutions and research organizations to conduct multicenter clinical studies and jointly promote the establishment of standardized digital scar assessment.

From experience-based assessment to data-assisted evaluation, digital technology is providing new perspectives for scar diagnosis and treatment. However, Dr. He emphasized that digital assessment will not replace clinical judgment. Instead, it adds a reference dimension to the doctor's experience, helping to more clearly observe changes and identify risks earlier.

In the future, BAKANG will continue to explore various aspects of scar diagnosis and treatment, converting the insights gained from academic exchanges into more robust patient service capabilities.