Scarring is a common after-effect of major surgery and traumatic injury. While some scars may be relatively discrete, others can be quite prominent, marring your physical appearance and potentially diminishing your self-confidence. Through scar revision surgery, Thrive Reconstructive Surgery can help patients minimize the appearance of scars, blending them with the surrounding skin tone and texture and leaving them inconspicuous. We are trusted experts in scar revision, offering treatments to patients in our offices.
What is Scar Revision Surgery?
When a significant wound heals, it often leaves behind a scar. Scarring may be inevitable when you experience a major injury or surgical intervention. However, it does not have to be permanent.
Through scar revision surgery, we attempt to reduce a scar’s visibility, helping it blend more completely with the skin surrounding it. There are a number of ways in which scarring can be minimized. For more minor scars, topical solutions or laser therapy may be sufficient. But for more significant scars, it may be necessary to surgically remove scar tissue, leaving behind a thinner and much less visible layer of scarring. Not only can this improve your appearance, but it may also improve functionality and restore lost mobility.
In other cases, skin grafting may be used, taking healthy skin from one part of the body and using it to conceal an area that has been heavily scarred.
Types of Scars Treated
Scar revision surgery may be used to treat any significant scarring, including scars that are prominent in their size, shape, or location. Both raised and depressed scars can be minimized through scar revision surgery. Additionally, the surgeons at Thrive Reconstructive Surgery, can conceal scars even when they are wildly different in color or texture from the surrounding skin.
We are pleased to treat patients whose scars came from accidents, injuries, or surgical complications. We can also advise patients whose scarring is milder in nature and may be effectively treated without the need for surgery.
Who is a Candidate for Scar Revision Surgery?
If you have significant scarring that leads to awkwardness, embarrassment, or diminished functionality, we invite you to contact Thrive Reconstructive Surgery to discuss scar revision surgery. This surgery may be performed on patients of any age and is generally a good option for those who meet the following criteria:
- You have visible scarring that bothers you for any reason.
- You are in good physical health and do not have any underlying issues that might prevent your body from properly healing.
- You are not a smoker.
- You do not have an active acne outbreak or other skin disorders around the area you wish to be treated.
By joining Thrive Reconstructive Surgery for a consultation, you can learn more about your qualifications for a scar revision procedure and also ensure realistic expectations about the outcome of your procedure.
Meet Our Surgeons
At Thrive Reconstructive Surgery, we have a team of skilled reconstructive surgeons who are committed to solving the toughest medical problems and resolving the most complex medical pathologies. We take on scar revision procedures that range from the simple to the challenging and help our patients regain functionality as well as confidence in their appearance. We are known throughout the state for our high standards of clinical excellence.
Surgery
Those who have never had a scar revision procedure will understandably wish to know more about the procedure itself. To learn about scar revision is to join us for a consultation, where we will answer all of your questions and ensure you have total confidence in your treatment from Thrive Reconstructive Surgery.
For those who have their scars addressed through surgery, the first step is anesthesia. We may recommend general or local anesthetics depending on the specific circumstances. The surgery may involve removing dead skin and massive scar tissue, under which a much thinner and less prominent layer of scarring may occur. For some patients, we may also perform a skin graft, using a sample of healthy skin from one part of the body to help conceal scarring elsewhere.
Our goal is always to reduce the prominence of poorly healed and obtrusive scarring and to ensure that any new wounds heal properly, minimizing any additional scarring.
Post-Surgery and Recovery
Your surgeon will provide you with comprehensive information about how to manage pain and ensure rapid healing.
One thing to remember with scar revision is that it usually takes some time to see the results. This is simply because the procedure itself may result in swelling or discoloration, which can obscure your outcomes. You can anticipate that it will take one to two weeks for the swelling and discoloration to dissipate and for your results to become more apparent.
The pain from a scar revision is minor for most patients, though pain medications may be used as needed. Additionally, the treated area may be tender to the touch for several days following the procedure.
For interventions that require general anesthesia, it is typically best to take a few days to rest, recover, and allow the body to heal before heading back to school or work. Ask your surgeon for a more specific recommendation.
Learn More About Scar Revision
Scars are a part of life, and sooner or later, most of us develop a few. However, when scars are especially prominent, they may lead to diminished self-confidence or impaired functionality. Through scar revision, these highly visible scars can be minimized.
We are pleased to provide scar revision procedures to patients. Contact Thrive Reconstructive Surgery for additional information or to schedule a consultation.