Dr. Hudson performs scar revision to improve the appearance of scars.
Method: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.
Problems: 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 (9%) 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 after it has healed may improve the appearance. Sometimes steroid injections are used to reduce the amount of collagen in the wound.
Postoperative care:The recovery takes one to two weeks. Most people are back to work within a week or two.
For more information check with your Dr. Hudson or the office (505-242-0070)