Reduce scarring

[Swirdfish]

Hi all,

Well i got discharged after 4 weeks yes it's been long, but when I discharged my 2 yr old got admitted.. influenza or meningococcal. Won't find out until tomorrow. Damn just need a break..

Anyway what have people used on their recent surgeries to reduce scarring?? I'm using rose hip oil.

Anyone know of anything better?

[DarknessEmbraced]

I hope that your 2 year old feels better soon!*hugs*

[BeansMama]

I hope your 2 year old is better soon, I will send extra prayers your way.

Cocoa butter is good for scarring.

[CRguy]

Here's an older topic which adds some info for you.
I used the Bio-Oil I mentioned in the topic

tips for reducing scarring?

sending MEGA BEST wishes for the little one
always scary when they get sick

CRguy

[Cowgirl918]

Ask your doc but I bought the Derm tape and cream.
Can't think of name but will try to find it. Pharmacist will know. The main culprit is stretching it and too much activity which increases adhesions. Depending on surgery site you may want an abdominal binder.
Good luck. I hope your little one is well soon. Way to much to handle .

[chemo sabe]

first I will say that I am a black and white person. My responses do not sit well with everyone but I have never believed in sugar-coating the truth. I certainly appreciate and understand where your question is coming from and I wish I had a potion for you. The truth is that while you may be able to reduce the scarring from the surgery but the hole from the ileostomy is not going away - ever. After you get your takedown surgery, the site of your ostomy is considered a "dirty wound" and is not sutured back together. It is left to close and heal on its own. It will always be there. Please understand that I am not trying to hurt your feelings, I am just trying to help you set your expectation. I look at that spot on my body and I am reminded of how lucky I have been. I am hoping the very best for you.

[Swirdfish]

first I will say that I am a black and white person. My responses do not sit well with everyone but I have never believed in sugar-coating the truth. I certainly appreciate and understand where your question is coming from and I wish I had a potion for you. The truth is that while you may be able to reduce the scarring from the surgery but the hole from the ileostomy is not going away - ever. After you get your takedown surgery, the site of your ostomy is considered a "dirty wound" and is not sutured back together. It is left to close and heal on its own. It will always be there. Please understand that I am not trying to hurt your feelings, I am just trying to help you set your expectation. I look at that spot on my body and I am reminded of how lucky I have been. I am hoping the very best for you.

Thanks for the info. I know the Ostomy site will be a very different story. Was your reversal for this open or laparoscopic?

I start folfox in a week for 4 months.

[CRguy]

Hey buddy,
I hear you on the black and white thing, as that used to be my entry position on everything !!!!
BUTT ..... as a point of correction to the assertion that

...... After you get your takedown surgery, the site of your ostomy is considered a "dirty wound" and is not sutured back together. It is left to close and heal on its own.

That is not correct.

1. My loop ileostomy takedown surgery was reduced as a surgically debrided / enlarged site to allow healing by primary intention ... i.e. sterile surgical closure ... and was NOT left open to heal and granulate by second intention. Open wounds are often the result of complications with the ostomy site and while they are known complications, they are not accepted as the normal response in most cases.

2. As a vet I have debrided / cleaned / curretted / enlarged thousands of surgical and non-surgical wounds over 35 + years. Healing by second intention, of itself does not necessarily require a large unsightly scar, though many do

3. Depending upon specifics of the individual patients problems and treatments, there is a range of optimal and suboptimal outcomes from surgical closures, so it is a bit cavalier to state one outcome from an individual circumstance as the definitive outcome for all patients.

4. reconstructive surgical repairs ( aka "plastic surgery" ) have been well applied in many cases to reduce the visual impact and restrictive complications of excess scarring, ergo, a large unsightly wound is not required to be the "new normal."

Just setting the record straight ...
in black and white ...

Cheers
CRguy

[chemo sabe]

CRguy has a good and valid point. We are all individuals and our surgeons are going to choose a method they are most comfortable with. My surgeon believes in open healing and in my case it really left a mark. But in my case it doesn't matter much as my surgery was open and they had to resection both ascending and descending ends of my colon. Again, I asked my surgeon about laparoscopic and he said that he was going to be operating very near the nerves that affect sexual function and then he asked me if I wanted him to be able to see exactly what was going on during the operation or not. So they opened me from sternum to pelvis. Following all of that, I developed a large incisional hernia and the following year, he fixed that up by re-opening along the original incision and putting in a large piece of mesh so that scar is now quite visible but I am very much alive and very happy. I certainly hope the very best for you. Hang in there -

[CRguy]

.... but I am very much alive and very happy.

and THAT my friend is a great result

best wishes
CR

[chemo sabe]

CRguy - so true and thank you very much.

[macpudd]

Hope your little one feels better soon, and glad you are out of hospital.
Regards
Macpudd