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This operation is performed to improve the appearance
of scars.
There are many ways to perform scar revision surgery. The method must
be tailored to the individual patient needs. The operation is done
under either local anesthetic (you are awake) or general anesthetic
(you are asleep). You can often choose. Most of the time this is an
outpatient operation and a stay in the hospital is not needed.
All operations have some risk. The risks can be divided into two
groups. First those that are seen in all
operations and second those that are unique or special for this
operation. In the first group, the main risks are swelling, bruising,
bleeding, infection, a scar and numbness or change in feeling.
The main thing to remember about this operation is that the scar will
not disappear after surgery. All scars are permanent. The aim is to
make your scar less noticeable. In most cases there is about a 90%
chance of improvement. Sometimes the scar looks about the same after
surgery and there is minimal improvement. In rare cases the scar can be
worse (<1%).
True keloid scars are rarely improved with surgery alone and so it is
important to distinguish between hypertrphic
scars and keloids. Some surgeons feel that silicone or oil gel sheets
applied to the scar after it has healed may improve the appearance.
Sometimes steroid injections are used to reduce the amount of collagen
in the wound.
The recovery takes one to two weeks. Most people are back to work within
a week or two.
The information on this web site is only intended as an
introduction to this procedure and should not be used to determine
whether you will have the procedure performed nor as a guarantee of the
result.
The best method of determining your personal options is to schedule a
personal consultation with Dr. Makki. He will be able to answer
specific questions related to your situation.
Please don't hesitate to call for any questions that you might have
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