 MAKING
THE DECISION
Whether the surgery is desired for
functional or cosmetic reasons, your choice of a facial
plastic surgeon is of paramount importance. Dr. Smith
will examine your scar in order to decide upon the
proper treatment and inform you of outcomes that can
be expected from facial scar revision surgery.
Different scars require different
treatments. For example, severe burns that destroy
large sections of skin cause the skin to heal in a
puckered way. As the skin heals, muscles and tendons
may be affected in this “contracting” movement.
Keloid scars are a result of the skin’s overproduction
of collagen after a wound has healed. These scars generally
appear as growths in the scar site. Hypertrophic scars,
unlike keloids, do not grow out of the boundaries of
the scar area, but because of their thick, raised texture
can be unsightly and may also restrict the natural
movement of muscles and tendons.
Some facial scars are unattractive
simply because of where they appear on the face, while
others affect facial expressions. All surgical possibilities
will be discussed in the initial consultation along
with risks involved for each type of scarring. The
agreement between you and Dr. Smith on how to proceed
is a prerequisite for successful surgery. After you
both decide to proceed with scar revision, Dr. Smith
will inform you about the anesthesia, any supportive
surgery options and costs.
Because scars are highly individualistic
and the patient’s attitude toward scars is
so personal, maximum improvement in facial scars
may require more than one procedure, and more than
one technique may be employed.
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