Whenever surgery is performed there is some form of scar tissue that is created. This may be as small as a few millimeters when liposuction is performed to as long as an incision that goes around the entire waist for a lower body lift. There are things that both the plastic surgeon and the patient can do minimize scarring.
Things that the plastic surgeon can do to minimize scarring:
- gentle handling of tissues
- placing the final incision line low on the waist near the pubic bone
- making the incision line-symmetric
- placing the tension of the closure on the deep tissue and not on the skin
- closing the incision with the best suture possible
- applying an incision dressing that is protective
- Things that the patient can do to minimize scarring:
- providing the body with the proper nutrition and hydration
- maintaining some flexion of the waist (waist bent) in the first week
- minimizing activity as indicated by the plastic surgeon in the first 4-6 weeks
- applying scar care regimen
So what scar care regimen is the best?
There are nearly an endless number of “scar care” creams, lotions, and potions but few if any have any data or research to back it up. In general, products can be divided into those that provide some type of physical protection and those that attempt to impact physiology.
Physical protection:
- paper tape
- Embrace advanced scar management device
- silicone sheeting
- Physiologic impact:
- -Vitamin E products
- -Steroid products
To date the best data and research has come from physical protection prodcuts. In particular, the recent introduction of the Embrace advanced scar management device has shown the most promising results as well as the best data to support its use.
As technology advances additional scar treatment options will become available.
All the best,
Dr. Remus Repta
