Scar revision surgery is today’s solution for unwanted scars that form part of our body’s healing process. Our bodies build tissues that repair damaged skin and close gaps from an injury; hence, the creation of scars can come in all shapes and sizes. In addition, scars can come from experiencing accidents, burns, surgery, acne, and illnesses. As time progresses, most of the scars we have in our bodies fade away naturally. Thanks to modern cosmetic technology, several treatments are now available to make scars less noticeable – insert scar revision surgery.
What is Scar Revision Surgery?
Scar revision surgery is designed to potentially minimize scars, making them less conspicuous and allowing them to blend in with the surrounding skin’s texture and tone.
Your scars are visible remains after having a wound that has healed. These reminders are some of the unavoidable imprints of having injury or surgery, with their development being unpredictable. Poor healing of scars may contribute to them being pronounced, unsightly, or disfiguring in appearance. Even wounds that heal well can still result in scars that affect one’s appearance. They are noticeable because of their size, shape, or location and can also become raised or depressed. Scars may also differ in texture and color from the surrounding healthy tissues where they are located.
Treatment options, such as scar revision surgery, may significantly depend on your scar type and scarring degree.
Can Scars Be Treated?
Numerous skin treatments nowadays can help make scars smaller or become less noticeable. Doctors and healthcare providers may suggest one or a combination of treatments. Scar revision treatments may be based on different factors like:
- Your scar’s type, size, and location;
- If your scar causes pain or if it’s affecting your ability to move; and
- Your age and your scar’s age.
Scar Revision Surgery Procedure
Step #1 – Anesthesia
Medications are delivered for your comfort and convenience while surgical procedures are happening. Your pain-alleviating medications may include local anesthesia, intravenous sedation, and general anesthesia. Doctors and healthcare providers are the ones that will usually recommend the best option for you.
Step #2 – Treatment
Scar revision surgery promises a degree of improvement that you can attain depending on how severe your scarring is and your scar’s type, size, and location. In some instances, even a single technique can already provide significant improvements. But plastic surgeons still suggest a combination of procedures for scar revision to achieve the best results possible.
The process usually takes more or less 30 minutes. Once the treatment is done, aestheticians may also apply calming serums to your skin to help alleviate any pain you may be experiencing, usually a sunburn-like effect that can persist for a day.
Gels, tapes, or external compression are only some of the topical treatments that can help close and heal your wound or reduce the skin’s ability to produce pigment irregularities. Practitioners may use such products to treat scars existing on the surface, together with discolorations. They can help in the healing of scar revision procedures.
Step #3 – Optional Incisions
Exceptional cases may require the creation of incisions, especially for deeper scars, to help surgically remove old scars.
Step #4 – Incision Closure
There are cases wherein scars require layered closures, often used where excision extends to the tissues found below the skin’s surface or in areas with high degrees of movement. The first layer, or step, needs sub-dermal closure, usually below the skin surface. This layer requires absorbable or non-removable sutures. Then, closure layers continue to build and conclude with the closure of the wounds that remain on the surface.
Results, Recovery, and Risks
Long-lasting Results
After your scar revision surgery, you may begin to experience skin irritation and redness, especially during the first couple of days after undergoing the procedure. Most patients start seeing visible results within the next few weeks. To maintain these results, it is suggested to schedule additional sessions and continue having scar revision.
The final results you’ll have with scar revision surgery will be long-lasting. But it may take at least a few months before the final results become apparent. In some cases, scar revision results may take a year or more for new scars to start healing and fading entirely.
Progress and Healing
The first phase of healing from having a surgical scar revision may produce localized swelling, discomfort, or discoloration. This phase may take one (1) to two (2) weeks to subside. Afterward, healing will continue for several weeks, with the new scars healing and slowly refining and fading the older ones. With other procedures such as dermabrasion, chemical peel, or laser resurfacing, you will experience the same conditions in the targeted areas and the overall sensitivity you’ll be having.
Potential Risks
To have scar revision surgery will greatly depend on you, having to decide if the benefits you’ll achieve will fit your goals and if potential risks and complications are acceptable. Your plastic surgeon will explain everything in detail and all the possible risks associated with scar revision surgery.
You’ll be asked to sign consent forms, ensuring complete understanding between you and your doctor or healthcare provider about the procedure you’ll undergo and all other alternatives, aside from the risks and potential complications. Scar revision risks may include the following:
- Anesthesia issues
- Asymmetry
- Bleeding and bruising
- Deep vein thrombosis or any cardiac and pulmonary complications
- Fat Necrosis
- Hematoma
- Infection
- Numbness or any skin sensation changes
- Persistent pain
- Poor healing of incisions
- Possibility of revisional surgery
- Prolonged swelling
- Recurrent looseness of skin
- Seroma or fluid accumulation
- Skin discoloration
- Skin loss
- Suboptimal aesthetic implications
- Unfavorable scarring
Always make sure to ask questions to your plastic surgeon because these questions about your procedure are essential. Having feelings of anxiety, excitement, and anticipation is quite normal, especially for your new look or stress before your scar revision surgery. Don’t be afraid to discuss these feelings with a doctor or healthcare provider.
Scar Revision Surgery: Final Thoughts
Scar revision surgery can help scars vary in size, shape, and thickness. Some are impossible to miss, while others are barely noticeable. Consult your doctor or healthcare provider if scar revision surgery is suitable. If it is, go ahead and experience it now.
Do you want your scars gone with the scar revision surgery? Our amazing friends at Skinetic Aesthetics can help you today. Visit them now! https://skinetic.org/
