Scar Management After Surgery
This information is of a general nature only and is for public information and education. Your individual problem needs to be assessed by your family doctor who will advise you on appropriate further steps.
All surgery produces scars. Good scar management involves planning the type of incision (cut) to be made, tension free wounds, delicate tissue handling, appropriate suture techniques and adequate post operative care including rest of the affected part. Early removal of skin sutures, 3 to 5 days on the face and 7days for most other areas, is essential and can be done with safety as most of these wounds have a buried layer of sutures in the dermis ( deeper part of skin ) which dissolve in about 6 to 8 weeks.
3 weeks after suture removal, the patient is started on scar massaging, two to three times a day, with the use of a lubricant.
Low pressure but constant compression appears to give the best results. This can be a paper tape or silastic sheeting, worn constantly for about 3 to 6 months. The improvement is probably caused by the compression as well as preservation of moisture in the scar.
