abnormal scar formation?

Hi Ladies,

I'm 11 days post-op for 250 mod + implants partially under the muscle. Up until now, I have largely ignored my inframammary crease scars. They have felt thick, cord-like and large under my shirts and, frankly, it scared me! Today I took the steri-tape off and saw that it looks mostly healed but both scars raised (very wide!) and tender. Is this abnormal scar healing? If so, anybody have any advice on what to do about it?

Thank you so much!!

Also to clarify, I had my stitches removed on Day 6 post-op by the PS and he was the one who subsequently placed steri-tape over it. No mention of abnormal scarring/scar healing.

Ha, I'm posting to myself...Okay...following a really huge freak out regarding my scar issue, I did a lot of internet reading and came up with some possibilities. If anybody has ever experienced or knows something about this, please, I would so appreciate your helpful comments!!!

1) I am 11 days post op. One possibility is that I could be forming a hypertrophic scar, meaning that I will be one of the unlucky ones who has a bigger scar that takes longer to fade...they are sort of an intermetiate between normal scarring and keloid scars.

2) I may just be seeing swelling due to the internal stitches that have not dissolved yet. These stitches are keeping the area under my incision raised and hard feeling.

Honestly, I think it really may be the second possibility, I'm hoping that at least...The incision itself looks very clean and tidy, no scabs, and skin immediately adjacent to the incision is normal looking albeit raised.

Anybody else experience this? Think I'm gonna call my PS tomorrow...

Thanks girlies!!!

Hey hun, I had some dissolvable stitches that took forever to come out and where ever they were they made the area red and tender, once out the scars looked and felt better.



If they have become more tender, inflamed, have any heat comeing from them, or any discharge, or if you are feeling unwell... have them looked at... it is normal for the scars to become redder and a bit more angry looking as they heal before they start to fade... but please keep an eye out for signs of infection and have them looked at if you have any concern that they may be infected.



Good luck hun!! x

Have them looked at as soon as you can.Sometimes they can inject the incision area with a steroid to help flatten it.I have a small section on each horizontal incision that is raised.I was told it wasn't keloid and was the way my body reacted to the incision in those places.I swell very bad for some reason.They have gone away considerabley on their own.Let us know what the doctor tells you.I hope it's just swelling like mine sweetie.But it's best to check,the sooner the better if they need to treat you. :)

Thanks so much for responding!!!

Sarahdawn,

I have a quick question...when you say your internal stitches took forever to come out, do you mean to dissolve or do they actually come out of your body? (Sorry for being so stupid!!)


Emme-Kate,

I actually think this is what is going on. After flipping out lastnight (prior to this I had just been completely ignoring my scars as if they weren't there, HA!) I put some ScarGuard on. It's a silicone liquid that turns hard once applied that also has Vit E and steroids. I'm supposed to use it twice a day. Remarkably, this morning the scars are MUCH less tender and they don't seem as raised! I am honestly shocked at how much better they look and feel after a single treatment.

WEIRD, but I'm going to stick with the ScarGuard for now! Haven't had a chance to call the doc yet (today was ridiculously busy) but I will see what he says...

xoxooxxoxox

Hey hun, most of my stitches dissolved on their own, at one of my post op appointments the nurse pulled out a few and even later on I had a few that worked their way to the surface of the skin as this happened there would be a small tender red patch and I would pull out the bit of stitch... then it would just heal up.



I would be careful with the ScarGuard, a lot of ps's dont like anything put on the scars until they are fully healed up which is around 6 weeks as it can pull apart the new delicate skin and it can increase the chance of infection.



If you want to keep using it I would check with your clinic hun just to be sure.

It will take time for the scars to start to fade, but it will happen it really is amazing how much the scars fade over time. x

I agree,don't put any scargaurd on there until you get the OK from the surgeon.I am glad you are feeling better about things and you sound relieved from your post!

Thanks gals!!! You are right, I need to hold off on the ScarGuard until they are completely healed..I'm going to call the PS asap and ask him about this as well!

Hi ladies,

So, I tried to call my PS today and it was too late, they had already closed. (20:00 is a bit early, no?) Anyway, I think what may be going on is that I'm having a reaction to the internal sutures...my body is not liking them. The incision sites now feel a bit more lumpy and at the corner of my right incision there is a point. Feels like a stitch. Is there anything I can do about this? I am considering starting a new thread regarding allergic reactions to internal stitches as it is kind of separate from a scar problem...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! xoxoxooxox

P.S. Calling my PS tomorrow MORNING!!!! GRRRR!

It does sound like a stitch hun... and its not an abnormal reaction... just sometimes those dissolvable stitches dont fully dissolve and a part of them hangs around and the bodys natural way to treat a foriegn object in the skin is to force it to the surface, which it sounds like is happening to you. It should come out or if you can grasp it you can try to pull it out with disinfected pair of scissors. but do call your clinic again and check with them to be sure. x

Thanks so much for responding, sarahdawn!!! Uggggg...yucky! Yeah, I think that's what's going on. I feel absolutely fine. My breasts feel really great considering I'm only 2 weeks post-op. I actually occasionally forget I had the procedure done, and I think that's a really good sign! The only moderate tenderness I feel is at the incision site, but no fever and I wouldn't really say it's red like infected red and it doesn't feel hot to the touch. But I am going to call the PS first thing tomorrow and let him know. For now I'm just keeping them moisturized with neosporin. The outter incision has sealed already and looks good if it weren't for those darn internal ones!!! :-< Thanks again, Ladies! I'll keep you posted!

Dont use any moisturisers, oils or lotion at all on or near your new wounds hun! your incision scars this early on in your recovery are still very prone to infection so unless instructed by your surgeon keep the wounds clean and dry and that all for now unless you've been given the all clear by your PS.

I think to be honest hun you're getting yourself in a bit of a state babe, just try and clam down sweetie

You're just 24 days post-op and EVERYTHNG you describe sounds perfectly normal for the stage in your recovery that you're at.

The wounds might appear to be lumpy for a while, but when given the all clear by your surgeon it's possible as it may just be scar tissue to massage those out, there are also things called split stiches, which are stitches under the skin working their way out, this can go on for months causing lumpiness and sometimes pain, if its causing concern your clinic nurse may just need to snip the stitch away for you, this does not hurt at all and the skin heals almost immediately!

Try to relax a little babe, hopefully by now you've seen your surgeon anyway and all is good. xx

Dont use any moisturisers, oils or lotion at all on or near your new wounds hun!



i totally agreee with this comments ...the 1st bad operation i did i started using cream after one month and the sracd transfer to kolid and i was very bad in result



for my second operatrion which i just did before 1 week ..my Dr . said the best soluation for scars is to cover them ...... i didnt opent the first bandage yet ..... and he told me keep coverting them until 3 month ...then start thinkin if you wish to use any cream or scars gel......after my bad 1st experiance .... i am doing really the second option not opening my operation sheet until i make sure its really dry maybe i after 2 week and then i will do as he told my

clean

dry

cover



this is the advice i can give for you and for myself