426 replies to this topic

[Maya]

Hi Maria - thanks for reporting so soon!

How does the excised scar look now? Is it puffy? What does the stitch look like - could you put makeup on and cover it up in a couple of days?

[Maria]

Maya,

I can't really tell how the scar looks now because I have a tape strip over it. I have to wait until it falls off. I got a short glimpse of the scar right after the suregery though, but it was really hard to tell because of the stitches.

The suture is black so I don't think makeup would hide it very well. I don't think it's a good idea to put makeup on anyway because of the risk of infection. However, my surgeon said that after the stitches are removed I could use makeup to cover it. It will probably be red for at least a couple of weeks or so.

[costa]

I just wanted to say I've just gotten the subcision/tca/n-lite done yesterday. I don't know what it going to look like but the subcision seems to have worked. time will tell. I had a few ice pic scars and a couple of depressed ones. does anyone have any info on what I should expect in the next week or 2?

[tanja]

HI guys
FIrst post for me...but have been dropping in over the past few months for a read and get some direction. I finally have an appt with a derm in four days to get my first ever treatment. (Punch excision and perhaps grafts).

At the moment i'm feeling quite nervous...not about the surgery per se, but the fear of having complications and ending up worse than i began with.

He says he will do CO2 resurfacing after the Punch Ex..

WHat has been everyones experience with this?

How do Dermatologists compare to Pl.Surgeons?

(my Derm seems very gentle and careful...but have no experience in this area.)

tanja

[lonelyman]

hi if you want excision on acne scars make sure the doctor perform a 2 layer stich. Do visit a plastic surgeon rather than a dermatologist who performs excision. Last April i went to excise one scar for my acne(single layer stich), it become wide, Have heard also some boards of people who got excision become wide too. I think the teory is there is a 2nd layer of stich is laking so there is a tendency the scars will become wider. Coz the 2nd layer stich supports the skin then will not strech the scars to become wider. The first layer stich is removed after 4 days while the 2nd layer stich is absorbable......Plastic surgeons are expert when it comes to excision and stiching......

[lonelyman]

People who will undergo excision:


Last April after my excision( Cosmetic Dermatology)for 14 hours it bleed coz the 2 stiches reopen. Internal stiches is laking(2nd layer stich) after a week that a have talk to a plastic surgeon, he said excision is not good if it will be performed by a dermatologist.....The reason some scars reopen coz the 2nd layer stich is laking....I take hemostan 500 mg for 4 times a day(that was afternoon no doctor to call coz its holy week doctors are on vacation) after the stiches reopen coz bleeding didnt stop after 3 long hours.....
That was my bad lesson lucky i have only one scar excise, but i do want to reexcise them this december by a Plastic surgeon....Who undergoes 2nd layer stich(all kinds of excision including a mole)...Make sure your plastic is the older the better. coz young one's have fewer excperience than the old one's.....The success depends on the hands of a surgeon

[Maya]

Maria and Lonelyman - thanks for the info, I'm due to get some scars excised on the 3rd of September.

Keep updating Maria!!

[lonelyman]

Take this site to research some photos of excision, before and after treatment of skin cancer:





www.skincancerinfo.com/ sectiond/knowmohs.gif

[Maya]

lonelyman - please can you find he exact page fro the photos - can't find them!! Thanks.

[-Jay-]

[removed]

[Maya]

Hey thanks Jay!!! Wow, those photos make me feel really excited!! My scars are obviously not nearly as bad as those cancer patients - it's almost difficult to belive that they had such good recovery.

[Maria]

Hi all,

I had the stitches (two) removed today. I think it looks ok. I have a little hole in the skin, at first I thought this was my old scar (only smaller) but he said it was from the stitch and that it will heal. I sure hope he's right!! To be honest it's kind of hard to tell where my old scar was and where the stitches were...I guess that is a good sign!

Right now I have a tape strip over the scar, 'Micropore', not those steri-strips. He said they were only necessary for wider scars where there's more tension. I bled a little after the stitches were removed, but only where the 'hole' is. There's a little swelling, but not much.

Anyway, I have to wait at least a few weeks before I can tell whether the excision was successful or not. He said it will take months before I will see the final result. I'm just so tired of waiting, waiting and waiting...I guess you all know what I mean...heaven knows we are the most patient people in the world!! ;-)

Oh well, at least it's done know...

[Maya]

Thanks for the update Maria - hope all goes well. Please keep this thread updated - good or bad. Thanks.

[Maria]

Ok, it's been almost two weeks now and I think I actually will be pleased with the final result. So far I've had about 80% improvement...pretty good in only two weeks!! The area is still slightly intended, only noticable in certain angles though...but I know it will keep improving the following weeks and months, each day it seems to look better /

And this thin red line you're supposed to have...well...I CAN'T EVEN SEE IT!! The area is a little pink (easy to cover with makeup) but no line...so far.

I have to say that I definitely recommend excision! Short downtime, pretty cheap and REAL improvement! We're not talking about 40-50% but close to 100% improvement! The only thing I regret is that I didn't have excision earlier!! I just don't understand why that derm told me it wouldn't work ](*,)

That is also one of the reasons I recommend anyone (esp. lonelyman and tanja) who's considering excision to go to a plastic surgeon (unless your derm is very skilled). For a surgeon this is a piece of cake. I realised that when my surgeon began to whistle to the radio during the surgery!! LOL

[Maya]

Your update makes me extremely happy Maria!!! I'm getting excision on Wednesday. I emailed Dr Chu and asked him how long I should take off work - and he said that most people are happy to go back to work after 1 day off. Is this true???????????????

[Maria]

Maya,
You could probably go back to work the very same day, if you don't mind people seeing the stitches/tape strips. Otherwise I'd say at least a week. The area will be tender after the stitches are removed, I didn't put makeup on until after 1,5 weeks (even though 1 week might be ok).

Are you going to take any before/after photos? I did but I haven't developed them yet...

Best of luck on Wednesday! I think you will be really happy with the results!!

[Hello]

what kind of scars does excsison help?

[lonelyman]

good luck to excision. make sure your plastic surgeon perform a 2 layer stich!!!!!

[lonelyman]

make sure to perform a 2 layer stich by a plastic surgeon or you will regret it if it becomes worse!!!okey!!!

[Maria]

---> Hello,
Excision is a good treatment for deep/moderate pitted scars.


---> lonelyman,
According to my surgeon an inside stitch is only necessary for big/wide scars. I had 2-3 mm cut out and no inside stitch and it worked very well!