What is Scar Revision?
Scar revision is a procedure that can improve or decrease a scar’s appearance. Scar revision is also performed to restore the function and appearance of skin disfigurement due to any wound caused by infections, injuries, inflammation of tissue, or previous surgeries.
Why Grand Genesis?
Largest Private Plastic Surgery Centre in Ontario
2 Fully Equipped Operating Rooms – 15 Recovery Beds for Overnight Stays
15 Plastic Surgeons (Guest & In house) – 30 Nurses
VERY SHORT waiting times for Consult & Surgery
Scar Revision Surgery Done by Following Surgeon:
Dr. Jiayi Hu
Click on the images to read more about him and his background.
Price & Cost
From $500. Our surgeon can give you an exact estimate of the cost after examination & talking with you.
Who is a Good Candidate?
You are a good candidate for scar revision if:
- • You have a scar that impairs certain functions or movements and it bothers you.
- • You are physically healthy.
- • You don’t smoke or can quit smoking for several weeks before and after the procedure.
- • You have realistic expectations and a good outlook on this procedure.
- • You do not have any skin diseases such as active acne, etc., in that part of the body that needs treatment.
The Procedure
The first step is Anesthesia; medications are used for your comfort during surgery. Selective methods include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will suggest the most appropriate one.
The second step is the treatment; The amount of healing achieved by surgery depends on your scar’s severity, type, size, and location. In some cases, one method alone is sufficient. However, your plastic surgeon may suggest a range of different treatments for the best results.
Topical treatments include gels, tapes, or compresses that may effectively close and heal wounds or prevent abnormal pigmentation. These products effectively treat superficial scars and discoloration and help in scar revision procedures to improve healing.
Injectable treatments: Usually used to fill wound sores. Depending on the injection and the specific condition of your wound, it may take 3 to several years, but the injection must be repeated to maintain the result. Another method is to use steroid injections to improve the appearance, size, and structure of prominent wounds and scars.
Surface treatments: Most often used to improve wound appearance. These methods usually improve surface irregularities and discoloration. Superficial treatments control the removal of the superficial layers of the skin or change the nature of the wound. These methods include:
- • Dermabrasion is a method of mechanical polishing of the skin.
- • Laser changes the skin’s surface and leads to the formation of new, healthy skin on the scar.
- • Chemical scaling solutions that penetrate the skin surface, soften the structure of the scar and improve color changes.
- • Skin whiteners are used to lighten the skin.
- • Sometimes deeper wounds need to be removed with a surgical incision.
The final step is Closing the incisions; Some wounds need to be layered. Layering is required in cases where tissue removal reaches subcutaneous tissues or areas with high mobility. The first step or the first layer requires sewing the subdermal (subcutaneous layer) with absorbent or permanent sutures. The sutures stay in place until the wound closes and heals.
Advanced scar treatment methods include complex flaps that remove the scar to make it less visible or improve flexibility in movement limitations.
Artificial tissue replacements are used in cases where healthy tissue removal is not enough to close the scar, which is more common in severe burn scars.
Tissue expanders replace skin grafts. In this procedure, a tissue expander, an inflatable balloon, is placed next to the wound. Over time, the balloon is filled with a sterile solution to promote healthy skin. When the skin is stretched enough, the balloon and scar are removed, and the stretched skin is used to replace the scar tissue. In this method, several surgical steps are required to obtain the final result.
Recovery
Many factors affect the process of healing of scars. Many patients pass the recovery period in two weeks even though the final results of the scar revision surgery can extend to five months.
It is recommended that patients do some common activities during the recovery period. In the following, they will be discussed more.
The scar area must be elevated above the level of the heart. For the area that is located on the face, the best position is the reclining position. As long as the scar is on the legs or lower body, keeping the legs elevated is good for a quick recovery.
Don’t smoke during the recovery period. The healing process will be hampered by smoking. The surgeon will tell you about suitable wound care for the surgical site. It might be daily cleaning of the wound and changing the bandage, or maybe he/she asks you to leave the surgical bandage and dressing in place until the follow-up visit.
Nutrition has an important role in the recovery process; it is especially recommended that the body remains well-hydrated after the surgery. Keep a healthy diet such as fruit juice, diaries, protein, etc., leading to improved healing.
Possible Complications
Scar revision surgery is typically known as a safe procedure. Although, like all procedures, there might be some risks such as:
- • Infection
- • Bleeding
- • Side effects of anesthesia
- • Skin Numbness
- • Discoloration of skin
- • Sensitivity
- • Poor healing of incisions
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