Scar Correction

Trauma or surgical lesion of the skin can lead to scars which may result, to variable degrees, in disturbing appearance, restricted function of the affected body region and various symptoms, including pain. There are many types of scars and numerous factors which can influence their development and their final appearance. These include, among others, location of the scar, suture technique, the aftercare, products and treatments applied, UV exposure, and above all the patient’s genetic predisposition. Whereas, some of these factors are simply given and cannot be changed, many others can be influenced in order to positively alter the postoperative scar development. Scar correction is not only about the surgical part, but above all about a complete therapeutic concept which may extend months beyond the operation. Regardless of what the reasons may be (aesthetic, functional), scar correction is becoming an increasingly requested procedure as less and less patients are willing to accept their impairment.

Technical term: Scar Correction

Duration of surgery
20 – 90 minutes
Anaesthesia
Local / sedation / general
Discharge from clinic
Same day

Fit for society
1-2 days
Back to work
Usually next day
Aftercare and recovery
Special scar treatments

Scar Correction

Scar correction - Everything You Need to Know

What to know before Scar Correction

Scars can become disturbing, even in case of a normal physiological healing process, due to their eventual discrepancy in color, structure, size etc. As our skin – when healthy- appears very even, already a tiny scar can stand out and result in a bothersome appearance. Moreover, the scar healing process may also be excessive and pathologically altered, resulting in various kinds of aesthetic and functional impairment.

Hypertrophic scars:
Red, raised and widened scars which are limited to the boundary of an initial wound

Keloid scars:
Indurated scars, extending beyond the area of an initial injury, commonly resulting in pain and impairment of function and movement (especially if located over a joint). There is an increased likelihood in patients with higher degree of skin pigmentation.

Scar contracture:
Often seen as sequel of a burn injury, scars can contract and pull together the surrounding tissue, leading to the impairment of normal skin movement.

Acne scars:
Small, pit-like scars with irregular indentations, typically in the face or on the back

Patient testimony

The results are fantastic. I was looking at old pictures not long ago, just to recognise my old self. Today, I find it odd that I was not longing for a youthful and fresh look earlier on.

T.R. (55)

After your surgery and beyond…

A multitude of modern treatments is nowadays available as scars are becoming a progressively addressed condition leading to the evolution in the surgical and non-surgical therapies. The right choice depends upon the type of the scar, anatomic location, age/maturity of the scar many other factors. Only after thorough evaluation, an individual approach, which is usually a combination of treatments, is individually tailored for you.

Corticosteroid Injections
These are especially effective in hypertrophic and keloid scars. Injection therapy can be performed in the clinic without anaesthesia, consisting repeated injections over a 3-6 months period. Usually, a progressive improvement can be expected.

Surgical excision
Surgical scar correction involves a wide range of reconstructive plastic surgery options, including excision, local and regional flaps, skin expander based reconstruction, etc. Some of this techniques may also be suitable for removal or correction of tattoos.

Fat Grafting
Fat can be processed and transferred in terms of variously sized grafts restoring volume under depressed or adherent scars. More importantly, however, fat tissue is rich in numerous valuable growth factors and stem cells (Vascular Stromal Fraction, VSF) which result in skin regeneration and scar remodelling. These cells can be isolated and enriched, depending on the type of fat graft processed. Fat grafting has shown very potent beneficial biological effect on the surrounding and overlying tissues, therefore fat grafting is now an established therapy in regenerative and reconstructive medicine with excellent results for scar correction. This therapy bears very minimal risks, can be often performed under local anesthesia and can result in an aesthetically pleasing outcome.

Advanced Scar Care Dressings
A wide selection of dermatological and pharmaceutical products are available. Furthermore silicone sheets and patches are important tools as they have a beneficial effect on the scar remodelling process.

Compression garments
Especially in the treatment of burn scars, compression garments may be customized and applied continuously for many months in order to avoid the scar elevation beyond the surrounding skin level and to reduce itching, redness and swelling.

Dermatological treatments
These treatments may include medical peelings, lasers, micro-needling (collagen induction), Plasma Rich Platelets (PRP), Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP/PRP) and Autologous Conditioned Adipose Tissue (ACA). All these therapies aim to induce and stimulate a regenerative process by collagen synthesis and cell proliferation.

Camouflage Make-up
Special instruction course for better camouflage of your scars.

There are non-specific risks that are connected to any kind of surgical procedures like hematoma, infection, seroma. The patient has to be aware that scar correction does not always result in less visible scars, depending on the initial condition and therapy applied, the outcome may be highly individual and sometimes not easy to predict.

Our multi-disciplinary team of experts has year-long experience in surgical and non-surgical scar correction therapy. We are dedicated promoters of interdisciplinary concepts with several scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and multiple congress participations, especially in the field of fat grafting and VSF therapies. Based on our vast experience, we believe in treatment strategies rather than a solitary procedure. Above all, we take scars very seriously as over past the 15 years we have learned how scars can have a detrimental impact on any patient´s well-being.