Scar revision technique is used to reduce the appearance of deep scars on the body. While it is not possible to completely eliminate scars, scar revision is effective in changing their appearance and reducing their prominence. According to the demands of the patients, scar revision technique will be applied to reduce the visibility of deep scars and the effect of very thick red scar lines will be reduced.

Best Candidate

The characteristics of patients who are considered ideal for scar revision are listed below:

• People with scars from surgery or trauma
• Patients who remember past traumas due to significant scarring
• Patients with hypertrophic scars
• Patients with abnormally developing keloids

Advice

The health history of the patients will be reviewed by the plastic surgeon before the scar revision. After obtaining detailed information about the formation and development process of the scar, the details of the health history, surgical history and trauma history are examined. After accessing all the health history information of the patients, the scars are examined. After the examinations by the experts, treatment planning is made.

Application Procedure

Before the scar revision, local anesthesia is applied to the patients in the application area. After the area is numb, the scarred area will be removed and the skin on both sides will be joined. The skin that remains normal is released, making the area look more regular. In order to minimize the skin tension on the wound, site-specific suture techniques are applied. After the multi-layer suture technique, the risk of incision formation during the recovery period is eliminated.

Post-Surgery Recovery Process

After scar revision, the surgical site will be bandaged and will remain bandaged for 1 week. Since it is a very simple process, you can return to work life at the end of the first week. In order to reduce the pain in the area, painkillers should be taken orally and vehicle use should be avoided during this process. Depending on the scope of the application area, the use of painkillers is terminated 1-2 days after the application. Follow-up planning is made and regular check-ups are made within a 1-year period after the operation.

Recovery Time

Since scar revision is a technique applied to various parts of the body, the recovery time for each operation differs. Although the clear recovery process is not specified, a return to social life is made within an average of 6 weeks. In the first 2 weeks of the operation, movements should be controlled. In the post-operative period, all conditions specified by the doctors should be complied with.

Techniques Used

Preferred methods for scar revision are explained in detail below:

• Scar Excision: The scar is removed and combined with the adjacent skin.
  
• Z / W–Plasti: Positioning is made along the existing scar, in line with the skin lines, and a natural appearance is obtained.
• Skin Grafting: After the scar is removed from the area, skin is taken from different parts of the body and placed in the area.
  
• Skin Flap Usage: Skin is taken from different parts of the body and the scar is covered. Without removing the skin and subcutaneous tissue, it is prevented from being seen from the outside.

Healing Tips

Care should be taken during the healing process in order to prevent complications that may occur after scar revision. Immediately after the operation, ice compresses should be applied for the first 24 hours. Thanks to the ice compress, swelling, edema and bruising in the area are minimized. Complications that may occur after scar revision may be infection, bleeding, bruising, swelling or unwanted appearance. Patients who comply with the entire plan determined for the pre- and post-operative period will prevent possible complications. Care should be taken in dressing the dressings to prevent infection in the area. When attention is paid to the cleaning and dressing of the area, the possibility of infection will be eliminated. In order to prevent the development of complications in patients, the doctor’s control should not be interrupted. It is necessary to rest and avoid heavy movements for 2 weeks after the operation. Before at least 6 weeks, exercises should not be started and habits such as jogging should be avoided.