Scar revision is a particular type of plastic surgery that is performed to improve the condition or appearance of a scar anywhere on your face and or body. Discoloration and surface irregularities and other more subtle scar revision treatments can be recommended by your plastic surgeon.
Scars are unavoidable results of injury, surgery and their development can be unpredictable. Poor healing may contribute to scars that are obvious, unsightly or disfiguring; even a wound that heals well can result in a scar that affects your appearance. Some scars are raised, others recessed, some are different in color or texture and others form around healthy tissue and are particularly noticeable due to their size location and shape.
Scar revision can help heal that scar that has bothered you for quite some time. Even though a scar cannot be completely erased, scar revision can provide a much more pleasing result. Some treatments involve minimally invasive procedures others require surgical revision. Scar revision is performed to create less prominent scars that are more consistent with your surrounding skin tone and texture.
Types Of Scars Plastic Surgeons Can Correct Are…
Hypertropic Scars:
Are thick clusters of scar tissue that develops directly at a wound site. They are often raised, red and uncomfortable, they may even become wider over time. They can also be hyperpigmented (darker in clolor) or hypopigmented (lighter in color).
Keloids:
Are large hypertripic scars that can be painful or itchy, they may also pucker. They extend beyond the edges of an original wound or incision. Keloids can occur anywhere on the body, but they develop more commonly where there is little underlying fatty tissue, such as the breastbone or shoulders.
Contractures:
Are scars that restrict movement due to skin and underlying tissue that pull together during healing. They can occur when there is a large amount of tissue loss, such as with a burn. Contractures also can form where a wound crosses a joint, restricting movement of the fingers, elbows or neck.
Different Breast Implant Procedures
The type of scar will determine the appropriate techniques to improve your scar. Scar revision can be performed on people of any age; however, good candidates are:
- Healthy individuals who do not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing
- Patients without active acne or other skin disease in the area to be treated
- Non-smokers
- Individuals with a positive outlook and specific realistic goals in mind for improvement.
- Individuals committed to following their plastic surgeon’s prescribed course of treatment.
Dr. Hardaway will consult with you prior to exploring any scar revision treatments. She will guide you towards the best possible solution about your scar revision surgery.
Scar Revision Process
Some techniques may be best to achieve the most optimal results. They include, but are not limited to: Topical treatments, injectable treatments, surface treatments and excision. Either way, it is essential that Dr. Hardaway meet with you for a consultation, of which you will be much closer to realizing your goals.
After the best treatment is found for you, you will be undergo your procedure in your plastic surgeon’s accredited office-based surgical facility or an ambulatory surgical facility or a hospital. Anesthesia will be based upon the various requirements of your particular procedure.
It is important to remember however, that the outcomes for scar revision develop over time. You will have a positive outlook with feelings of fulfillment as soon as the results begin to appear.
Which Plastic Surgeon Should I choose?
Choosing to have cosmetic or reconstructive plastic surgery is an important decision; so is selecting a plastic surgeon. Consider these important guidelines:
- Board Certification – Not all physicians who perform plastic surgery or who use the title plastic surgeon are board certified in plastic surgery.
- The American Board of Plastic Surgery certify physicians in plastic surgery of the face and the entire body who have accomplished the following:
- Graduate from an accredited medical school
- Complete a minimum of five years of surgical training following medical school, including an accredited plastic surgery residency program
- Pass comprehensive oral and written exams
Privileges – Your surgeon should have operating privileges at an accredited, local hospital for the same procedure you plan to have performed – even if that surgeon suggests your procedure be performed in an accredited office-based surgical facility or at an ambulatory surgery center.