Scar Revision Surgery

Past illnesses, surgeries or accidents can leave disfiguring scars on our bodies. Depending on their location, they can cause complexes or discomfort for the patient. While body scars can be camouflaged with appropriate clothing, those located on the face are difficult, if not impossible, to hide.

In all cases, a good solution to restore patients’ attractive appearance and self-confidence is scar correction, which can be carried out in several ways.

Scar revision – used methods

– Surgical removal of the scar – such a procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic by a plastic surgeon. The old scar is cut out and the edges of the wound are properly prepared and sutured with a thin thread. The scar does not disappear completely, but it is definitely less visible.

Two methods of cutting are used in plastic surgery:

Z-plasty – in addition to excising the scar, the surgeon makes two additional incisions that resemble a ‘z’ shape. This allows the scar to better match the natural folds of the skin. What is more it is less visible and helps the wound heal faster.

W-plasty – the scar is cut with a broken line in the shape of the letter ‘w’.  The method works well for long scars. Using this technique, they heal faster and are less visible.

– Laser scar removal – depending on the type of scar (surgical scars, pox scars, acne scars), an individually selected laser is used here. Very often these are fractional lasers, but the method can be different for each patient.

For red and pigmented scars, vascular lasers are very effective. This treatment rapidly reduces the intensity of the scar colour, making it less visible. The type of laser and scar removal techniques used are selected by the doctor on the basis of observation and interview with the patient.

– Scar correction by steroid injection – a method very effective for scarring, i.e. excessively proliferated scars. The procedure involves injecting a steroid directly into the scar at the set intervals, e.g. every 3-4 weeks.  Under the influence of the applied substance, the scar becomes softer and less visible.

Scar removal methods:

– surgical excision

– laser

– steroids.