Will Scar Revision Improve The Look Of My Buttock Scars?

Q:  I am considering scar revision but need some direction. I basically have two small scars on my butt. They are small and they look like chicken pox scars However they are perfectly centered on each cheek. They are from a liposuction surgery I had many years ago. What is the best way to correct them? I hope you can help.

A:  The three-dimensional shape or geometry of these scars is an important consideration. Are these scars wide and flat like chicken pox scars as you havhe described or are they wide and indented, having a central depressed component to them? Since they are old liposuction entrance scars, they are probably wide but the key question is are they indented or flat? That distinction is critical in choosing what type of scar revision to perform.

Excising small scars on the buttocks is easy to do and the intent of such an excision is to make the scar ultimately more narrow. While at the time of the procedure, they will be but in the long run they will likely widen again. The pressure of sitting on the buttocks will defeat most attempts at scar narrowing in this area if the scars are anywhere on the rounded portion of the buttocks. If they are around the perimeter or in the buttock crease, then such desired narrowing is more likely to be achieved.

If the scars are indented, however, cutting them and out and closing them make not make them smooth or flat. For this type of scar revision in this area, I would place small fat graft underneath them to prevent recurrent tethering or indentation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana