The myth of scarless healing
Fact
There is no wound healing without a scar: The scar is the end point of wound healing. It is a repair process, not a tissue regeneration, as the original tissue is replaced by uniform fiber tissue.
What can the Plastic Surgeon do for a scar?
The aim of each treatment is to make the scar the least noticeable: Three situations must be distinguished:
- There is no scar yet, the plastic surgeon is responsible for the new scar
- There is a fresh cut wound, the plastic surgeon is responsible for the repair
- There is a scar, the plastic surgeon performs an improvement of an existing scar
1)There is no scar yet, the plastic surgeon is responsible for the new scar (Elective Surgery)
The plastic-surgical secrets for the least visible scar in elective surgeries are:
- Risk assessment for elective surgery
- Asepsis
Observance of the relaxed skin tension lines (RSTL) or boundaries of the aesthetic units
2) There is a fresh cut wound, the plastic surgeon is responsible for the repair (Emergency)
The plastic-surgical secrets for the least visible scar in emergency surgeries are:
- atraumatic surgical technique (magnifying loops, fine surgical instruments, fine suture material)
- adequate wound debridement (resection of damaged tissue)
- tension-free wound closure
- wound closure in layers with the smallest possible amount of suture material
- adequate postoperative care (drainage, bandage, suture removal, …)
3) There is a scar, the plastic surgeon performs an improvement of an existing scar
If a scar is established, there are multiple conservative, minimal-invasive and operative treatment options to improve it. Very often, several treatment options are used in combination. The key to a successful scar correction is a precise analysis of the existing scar.
Before
