Keloid Scarring Post-Surgery

[ncw3642]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience reducing the appearance of a Keloid Scar from a median sternotomy post-surgery. I am approx 5-months out and notice it’s developed a keloid appearance being red, raised outside normal surgical borders.

I read online that outside of surgical intervention, silicone based products work well to help reduce the appearance.

Furthering, does anyone know if keloid scarring creates more scar tissue that makes a repeat sternotomy more challenging vs non keloid?

 

[pellicle]

Hi

I am approx 5-months out and notice it’s developed a keloid appearance being red, raised outside normal surgical borders.

mine was pretty vivid on OHS 1, and was generally described as a giant red earthworm in the middle of my chest. However by a few years it was much flatter.

Furthering, does anyone know if keloid scarring creates more scar tissue that makes a repeat sternotomy more challenging vs non keloid?

the two are AFRAIK unrelated, keloid is only the skin, the scar tissue that is "what makes repeat surgery hard" is every where all the way down to the very heart itself.

Even the tissue that you don't think of as tissue such as the tissue (usually depicted as slime) called the pleura; this forms scar response too
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/...eura is a serous,vessels, nerves, and bronchi

As I understand it, this is the stuff that really complicates redo.

Best Wishes

 

[3mm]

from a median sternotomy post-surgery. I am approx 5-months out

I'm sorry to hear of your scarring problem. I had a median sternotomy 14 months ago (Sep 14, 2023), but my scarring has faded.

What does your surgeon say? Send them a picture and ask for advice.