CO2 Laser - Lake Mary, FL

I am appalled by the appearance of my skin after receiving CO2 laser resurfacing on my face from Dr. Johnston. I chose to have the procedure to reduce the appearance of acne scars on my face. I informed Dr. Johnston that I was NOT looking for perfect skin. I asked him if I could expect a 50% improvement in my skin, and he told me at least 50% but most likely more. What I received was at least a 50% decline in the overall texture of my skin and only minimal reduction in some acne scars and no change in other scars.
The procedure was completed in June 2014 and after nearly 9 months of recovery, I continue to have scars, redness and hyper and hypo pigmentation to my face. One scar, that I noticed the same day as the procedure is 3 inches long and in a diagonal pattern across my cheek. Another unexpected outcome was Dr. Johnston’s unprofessional demeanor when after months of listening to him tell me all sorts of ridiculous reasons (he used the laser in a different direction, one side of my face gets more sun than the other) for my scars, he then said to me “you had a good outcome, what do you want me to do?” Up to that point Dr. Johnston and his wife had given me facials and hydroquinone which were not improving the scars. I am completely distressed that I paid nearly $3000.00 for the CO2 laser that visibly made my skin look worse. My friends and family are also in disbelief that my skin is actually worse than prior to the procedure.
After consulting a “facial” plastic surgeon and reading research articles, I discovered that I could not substantiate all the information given to me by Dr. Johnston. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states “ . . . causes of scarring include operator error in the form of excessive fluence or density, too many passes or pulse stacking." I also learned that not only did Dr. Johnston use the incorrect laser for my skin and condition, but that it was the incorrect procedure.
Based on my opinion and my experience with Dr. Johnston, I cannot recommend anyone to Dr. Johnston for the CO2 laser procedure. I do recommend that careful consideration be conducted with extensive research though both literature and recommendations from patients who were pleased with their outcomes. The CO2 laser resurfacing is only one of many procedures available, it is wise to look at all procedures. Lastly, it is imperative that one receives treatment from a plastic surgeon that is skilled and experienced with “facial” plastic surgery.