Does scarless surgery exist?
The short answer to this question is no however this need further exploration.
It is not uncommon for a patient to present with a bad scar on a part of the body and say “Please take this scar away”. The patient is often very disappointed to hear that it can be improved but not completely removed as they have an unrealistic expectation that plastic surgeons can make scars disappear. This is not possible. Part of the art and science of plastic surgery is the placement of scars in grooves or contours or in natural boundaries between anatomical structures in order to hide the scar and make it seem invisible.
Part of the art and science of elective plastic surgery is the placement of scars in grooves or contours.There are lots of examples of this for instance – facelift, blepharoplasty, liposuction, rhinoplasty, otoplasty, breast augmentation and the list goes on. In elective primary surgery the plastic surgeon can choose where the scar goes and make it seemingly “disappear”. However in revisionary cases, cancer surgery, trauma or any other cause of scarring where we do not get to choose where the scar goes then it obviously makes a massive difference to the end cosmetic result.
In elective primary surgery the plastic surgeon can choose where the scar goes and make it seemingly “disappear”.
This opinion piece was brought to you by Dr Damien Grinsell.
For more information or to answer any questions please feel free to call 03 85602999 or email enquiries@horizonplasticsurgery.com
