scar revision?

[Mike]

Has anyone had any success getting rid of keloid scars? A dear teenager at our church has had two attempts to get rid of the heavy, lumpy, drawn scar down her chect from an OHS, but they have come back with a vengance each time.

Any help would be appreciated. Her mom would take her just about anywhere to find a doctor to help.

Thanks.
Diana

 

[WayneGM]

Unfortunately, I've gone to specialists, and tried creams, patches, etc., and nothing seems to work. If you find the answer, let me know. Personally, I don't care how they look but the itch drives me crazy sometimes.

 

[blessed1416]

Diana, I too, had a bad scar from my first OHS. My children called it a "worm." Then, when I had my failed (repaired) valve replaced 3 years later, the doctors somehow smoothed the scar, and now it is wide, but isn't raised. I also tried vitamin E, creams, etc.. and nothing worked. I pray that your friend at church doesn't need another OHS, but perhaps she could see a plastic surgeon if the scar really bothers her. God Bless!!

 

[hensylee]

Has anyone had any success getting rid of keloid scars? A dear teenager at our church has had two attempts to get rid of the heavy, lumpy, drawn scar down her chect from an OHS, but they have come back with a vengance each time.

Any help would be appreciated. Her mom would take her just about anywhere to find a doctor to help.

Thanks.
Diana

this has been discussed for the nearly 9 yrs that Ihave been a member and nobody has found a solution that works for everybody. Maybe one or two had removals, but if my rememberer is right, they were told the scar would probably come back.

If you hear of a true treatment, please let us know because it's a problem for quite a few and we never have a good answer for them.

Blessins............

 

[escargome]

I don't think that there is a true answer. My nephew used Emu Oil for many years and finally the scar flattened out (He had surgery as a child and the scar ran across his throat). But it is such a slow process that most young people get frustrated. I hope you can find an answer.

 

[Marguerite53]

someone fairly recently said that they went to a plastic surgeon who cut out the old scar and then zapped the new cut (after it had healed for some time??) with one shot of radiation. That seemed to work!

Others have had laser treatments but they don't seem to have worked too well. Not sure. You might use our search button here for laser treatments and scar and radiation. Maybe the conversation will come up

Definitely a plastic surgeon of the most up to date persuasion is the way to go.

Good luck!

Tell her to come here and look over some of our scars in the hopes of feeling better about herself. it is very hard for a young one.

Best wishes.

Marguerite

 

[KatherineK.]

Man, I have one nasty scar too. Well more than that including chest tubes and whatnot. I've been to my surgeon once to get a steroid injection in the scar. It has significantly gone down, but at the bottom! It's still bright red and ropey at the top. My doctor calls it a "proud scar."

 

[DebbyA]

This is a timely thread for me. Both my cardiologist and PCP are advising me to see a dermatologist for cortisone injections, but I was pretty sure from researching here that no one has found a permanent solution. Like WayneGM, it's the itch (and tenderness) that bothers me. My second incision, for the pericardial window, isn't keloid, so it's a mystery why this one is.

Good luck in your quest, Mike.

 

[Freddie]

Sitting in the sun was advised to me. The top half is smooth, slightly pink and white. The center healed quite nicely on its own, don't ask about the bottom half......its just like what has been mentioned yuk.

 

[ken]

Here is a link to an article on everything one might want to know, including treatments, on Keloid and Hypertrophic Scars.

For the treatment part scroll down to section 6

http://www.emedicine.com/derm/TOPIC205.HTM

 

[JeffM]

At 7.5 weeks post-op, I'm getting some keloiding on the lower 3" of my incision. I'm not sure yewt if the drainage scars will keloid because they closed a couple weeks later. My cardiologist told me she'd heard of people having success with vitamin E. I bought some and have been applying it, but I don't have great expectations having used it years ago on a 4" knee incision. What helped then was a cortisone injection. It widened over time but it flattened out and stayed that way. I'm contemplating getting the same treatment for my chest.