I posted on here a while ago if anyone remembers. I had a bad scar on the bridge of my nose and have had scar revision performed three times. Below is a few weeks after the first scar revision in June 2015. You can see the skin dehisced and streteched apart quite badly, leaving a depression. It was more red than it looks. Non-dissolvable stitches were used.
In January 2017 I had scar revision done again with a different surgeon. He used dissolvable stitches. After two weeks it looked great and I left the steri strips off. big mistake. The scar then stretched again similar to the first time.
I didn't want to have scar revision done again but the surgeon convinced me and I had it done for a third time in December 2017. This time he used long-lasting stitches but I got the same result. Blow is a picture I just took but it it looks much more red than this. The sunkeness is gone and the scar is smooth but it has dehisced again and the scar is red. It looks more red than pictured. This is the 14 week mark.
The surgeon will tell me to wait 6 months before I do anything so that will take me to May 2018. I am certain this time that I will never have scar revision ever again, certainly not on this scar. He will either give me a refund if I am not happy or I will trust him to do a different procedure. I have decided against a rotational flap as that could make the scar much bigger, so I am left with skin graft as the remaining option. He was against that because he said it could create a "patchwork" quilt appearance but there are lots of results on the internet for scars in the same location. I'm thinking of taking the refund and going to another surgeon for a skin graft. Is this the right option? I can't have vbeam as there just isn't the expertise where I live and tbh I doubt it would work on a wound.
I am confused in pic 1 it's on left and pic 2 on the right of the nasal bridge. Perhaps they cut more skin away and made it midline in revision.
Why would you do a skin graft, the scar just looks red and not indented like before. Vascular laser would clear this up or ipl / photofacial or steroid injections. It looks much better. You can throw some concealer on it till you get it done. He is right in this case, you will replace the red scar with skin that has a different texture, and color profile. Could look hypopigmented.
Does your username mean you smoke, this can also cause complications in healing.
Please post 3 pictures in high definition on realself.com of the scar now. Ask the opinion of the doctors. Don't mention the skin graft, ... just ask what can be done.
Dr.Patrick Treacy (Dublin, etc..., maybe even the UK) is a brilliant Dr in Ireland who is a PS/Derm, look him up. I don't know if I am spelling it right. He has won many awards. He does charge a consult fee but it's a simple flight away.
Haha, I must have flipped the image when I took the first one. Or maybe it's because the first one was taken with a camera pointed at me and the second with the selfie option on my mobile... not sure. Either way the scar is on one side of my nose.
I will try and get a better quality picture somehow as these photographs do not show the full extent of the scar.
I will look into Dr Treacy but I'm not sure I will be able to afford it.
Unfortunately, this seems a common occurrence for people who choose excision for their treatment. You are replacing one scar with another and people who have acne scars quite often don't heal that well. It is really hit and miss. Some do alright, but for others it's a waste of time.
I might ask why do a third excision after the first two failed?
I know Patrick well though his lectures, he is a man with good intentions, however what you present before us is a little more challenging than what Patrick MAYBE capable off. As always I am always happy to be proven wrong. In your situation, possibly a elevated patterned skin graft (full thickness) maybe a feasible. Once elevated fully ablative erbium can help. Other less than ideal options include dermal grafting....
If you no longer have an indentation, than the scar revision has done its job. Scar revision is not a magic eraser. And even if you've read about the "thin line" you'll end up with after revision, that actually rarely happens. A skin graft will be a disaster, I'm almost certain. The texture and color difference with make it stand out even more than this bright red scar.
I don't understand why you won't try Vbeam before doing something aggressive like a skin graft. Why would you do that to yourself? Vbeam is straight forward. Why do you think it's more complicated than grafting skin from another part of your body to your nose. Sorry but that makes ZERO sense to me. You need to exhaust your options before you potentially disfigure yourself. Do the vbeam, it CAN'T make it worse.
