Scar Revision

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in thigh scar revision. I had fat transfer done a year ago and the fat was harvested from my thighs. This means that I have two incisions along both sides of the pelvic area. The issue is, I was a couple of weeks late in removing the stitches, and there’s now hypertrophic scarring where the incisions were.

They are not too big – 1 cm in length and rather narrow. The thing that bothers me is how raised and red they look as it becomes rather obvious due to my pale complexion.

I get that it was my fault for delaying removing the stitches, but are there any options to improve on the appearance of these scars? Cost is not an object, and I’m fine with a relatively invasion procedure if it can provide the best results.

Anyway, the scar has remained the same for the past 6 months, so that’s why I’m seeking a scar revision now. Any solution that you can provide will be much appreciated.

A: While I would need to see actual pictures of your scars, I suspect that only excision and reclosure of them (scar revision) would make any difference. This time all sutures should be placed under the skin and be dissolvable so no suture removal is needed and the risk of hypertrophic scarring is less.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana