Scar Revision
What is Scar Revision?
Scar revision is a surgical or non-surgical procedure to minimize the appearance of scars, improve their texture, or restore function by addressing contractures or deformities. It’s often performed for cosmetic improvement or to alleviate discomfort from tight scars. In India, scar revision is conducted in plastic surgery departments at hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, and Safdarjung Hospital, often at affordable costs. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs is essential for patients.
Why do you need Scar Revision?
Scar revision is indicated for:
- Cosmetic reasons:
- Hypertrophic scars (raised, red scars within original wound boundary).
- Keloid scars (raised scars extending beyond wound, more common in darker skin tones, 5–15% incidence).
- Widened or depressed scars (e.g., from surgery, like the FUT scar in hair transplants you asked about).
- Functional reasons:
- Contractures: Tight scars restricting movement (e.g., from burns, as in burn reconstruction you asked earlier).
- Scars causing pain, itching, or irritation.
- Associated conditions:
- Scars from trauma, burns, surgery (e.g., cesarean, as in your earlier obstetrics queries), or acne.
- Timing:
- Typically performed 6–12 months after initial injury (once scar matures); earlier for functional issues like contractures.
The procedure aims to reduce scar visibility, improve texture, or release tightness, using surgical excision, repositioning, or non-surgical methods, with results varying based on scar type and patient factors.
Why Do Scar Revision Costs Vary in India?
Costs range from ₹20,000 to ₹1.5 lakh:
- Procedure Complexity: Simple excision (₹20,000–₹50,000); Z-plasty (₹50,000–₹80,000); grafts/flaps (₹80,000–₹1.5 lakh).
- Hospital/Location: Higher in metro cities (Apollo, Fortis: ₹50,000–₹1.5 lakh); lower in government hospitals (Safdarjung, AIIMS: ₹10,000–₹40,000, often subsidized).
- Surgeon’s Expertise: Experienced plastic surgeons charge more.
- Additional Costs: Anesthesia (₹5,000–₹15,000), hospital stay (₹5,000–₹10,000/day), laser sessions (₹5,000–₹15,000/session), medications (₹2,000–₹5,000).
- Insurance: Covered for functional issues (e.g., contractures); rarely for cosmetic—confirm with your provider.
Scar Revision Procedure
- Before Surgery Evaluation:
- Assessment:
- Physical exam: Evaluates scar type, size, location, and skin quality.
- Blood tests: Blood sugar, clotting profile (for surgical revision).
- Photos: For planning and comparison.
- Discussion: Surgical vs. non-surgical approach, expected improvement (scars can’t be fully erased).
- Consent: Risks, including recurrence, are explained.
- Assessment:
- Surgical/Non-Surgical Techniques:
- Scar Revision:
- Performed under local anesthesia (small scars) or general anesthesia (large/contractures), lasting 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Techniques:
- Excision and closure: Scar excised; wound closed with fine sutures in layers to reduce tension; often used for widened scars.
- Z-plasty/W-plasty: Scar reoriented into zigzag pattern to break up straight-line scar and release contractures; improves appearance and function.
- Skin grafting/flap surgery: For large scars or contractures (e.g., burns); healthy skin grafted or flap transferred to cover defect.
- Dermabrasion: Sands down raised scars (e.g., acne scars); used for surface-level scars.
- Laser therapy: Fractional CO2 laser resurfaces scar; reduces redness and thickness; often non-surgical or combined with surgery.
- Adjuncts:
- Steroid injections: For keloids/hypertrophic scars; reduces thickness (often post-op).
- Silicone sheets/gel: Applied post-op to flatten scars.
- Closure: Fine sutures; dressings or silicone sheets applied.
- Intraoperative Tools:
- Scalpel: Excises scar.
- Laser: Resurfaces scar tissue.
- Microsurgery tools: For flaps (if needed).
- Scar Revision:
- After Surgery:
- Hospital stay: Same-day discharge (minor revision); 1–2 days (grafts/flaps).
- Care: Keep incision clean; silicone sheets for 3–6 months; avoid sun exposure.
- Pain management: Mild pain for 1–3 days; managed with acetaminophen.
- Instructions: Avoid stretching scar area; physiotherapy if contracture released.
Recovery After Scar Revision
- Hospital Stay: Same-day discharge (minor); 1–2 days (extensive).
- Post-Surgery Care:
- Pain/Swelling: Mild pain for 1–3 days; swelling resolves in 1–2 weeks.
- Activity: Avoid strenuous activity for 2–4 weeks; light activities in 3–5 days.
- Incision: Sutures removed in 5–10 days; new scar fades in 6–12 months.
- Scar care: Silicone sheets/gel for 3–6 months; sun protection to prevent darkening.
- Results: Initial improvement in 4–6 weeks; final scar appearance in 6–12 months.
- Follow-Up:
- Visits at 1 week (suture removal), 1 month, and 3 months.
- Photos: At 3–6 months to assess improvement.
Most resume normal activities in 1–2 weeks; full scar maturation takes 6–12 months. Success rate: 80–90% report improved scar appearance or function; keloids may recur (10–50%) without adjunctive therapy.
Risks and Complications
- Surgical Risks:
- Bleeding (1–3%): Hematoma at site; may need drainage.
- Infection (1–3%): At incision; treated with antibiotics.
- Anesthesia risks (<1%): Reaction to anesthesia; rare in healthy patients.
- Post-Surgery:
- Keloid/hypertrophic recurrence (10–50%, keloids): More common in prone individuals; managed with steroids or radiation.
- Widened scar (2–5%): If tension high; may need re-revision.
- Asymmetry (1–3%): If scar reorientation uneven; may need touch-up.
- Skin discoloration (2–5%): Hyperpigmentation; often temporary with sun protection.
- Long-Term:
- Persistent scar (5–10%): Scar never fully disappears; revision improves but doesn’t erase.
- Sensation changes (1–3%): Numbness or hypersensitivity; usually resolves in 3–6 months.
Report fever, severe swelling, or signs of infection (e.g., redness, pus) promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes the need for scar revision?
Scars from surgery, trauma, burns, or acne; may be raised, widened, or restrict movement.
Can I avoid scar revision?
Yes, if cosmetic: Non-surgical options (e.g., laser, silicone sheets, steroids); surgery needed for functional issues or significant scarring.
Is scar revision painful?
Mild pain for 1–3 days, managed with medication; discomfort subsides quickly.
How soon can I resume normal activities?
Light activities: 1–2 weeks; full recovery: 4–6 weeks; avoid stretching scar area for 2–4 weeks.
Is scar revision covered by insurance in India?
Covered for functional issues (e.g., contractures); rarely for cosmetic—confirm with your provider.
Signs of complications?
Fever, severe swelling, or signs of infection.
Will my scar disappear completely?
No, but 80–90% see improvement; scars are minimized, not erased; results vary by scar type.
Lifestyle changes post-surgery?
Use silicone sheets, avoid sun exposure, refrain from stretching scar, and attend follow-ups.
Conclusion
Scar revision is a safe and effective procedure to improve scar appearance or function, with good outcomes in most cases. India’s top hospitals (Apollo, Fortis, Safdarjung) provide affordable care, with insurance coverage for functional cases. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs helps patients approach treatment confidently. Consult a plastic surgeon for personalized guidance.
Looking for Best Hospitals for Scar revision
Note: we are not promoting any hospitals
we are not promoting any hospitals we sourced all the details from google and hospitals website, please verify and start with your surgery here we go the list includes government, budget and superspeciality hospitals accreditation bodies are the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI)
- click on your city and schedule your surgery now done in good hands.
| City | Minimum Price (₹) | Maximum Price (₹) |
|---|---|---|
Agra |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Ahmedabad |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Ajmer |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Aligarh |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Allahabad |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Amritsar |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Aurangabad |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Bangalore |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Bareilly |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Belgaum |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Bhopal |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Bhubaneswar |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Bikaner |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Chandigarh |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Chennai |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Coimbatore |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Dehradun |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Delhi |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Dhanbad |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Durgapur |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Faridabad |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Ghaziabad |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Gorakhpur |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Guntur |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Gurgaon |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Guwahati |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Gwalior |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Hyderabad |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Indore |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Jabalpur |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Jaipur |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Jalandhar |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Jamshedpur |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Jodhpur |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Kanpur |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Kochi |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Kolkata |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Kollam |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Lucknow |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Ludhiana |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Madurai |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Mangalore |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Meerut |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Moradabad |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Mumbai |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Mysore |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Nagpur |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Nashik |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Navi Mumbai |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Noida |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Patna |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Pune |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Raipur |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Rajkot |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Ranchi |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Surat |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Thane |
25,000 |
80,000 |
Vadodara |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Varanasi |
15,000 |
70,000 |
Visakhapatnam |
20,000 |
75,000 |
Disclaimer
This information is sourced from open platforms and is for general awareness only. Costs may vary based on individual cases. Please consult a qualified doctor for medical advice and explore options within your budget before deciding on the procedure.