Transplant scarring

K

KrazyKat2

New member
Hi all

I am nine months post transplant and all is going well, with one exception, my scar. It is really ugly, thick and still has a lot of colour in it and i just don't think it's going to get any better at this stage.

I'm wondering what other people have found with their scars. Have they healed nicely, and if so, how long did it take? Are they very noticeable and is anybody happy to post a picture of theirs for comparison, maybe i'm expecting too much.

I'm considering seeing a plastic surgeon to have my scar 'revised' but being on the chest i've heard scarring is often quite bad on this area of the body, so i'm not convinced there is much hope of improvement. I've been told having my scar lazered is not possible due to the medications we are on, as exposure to sun (or lazers) could potentially burn my skin.

Any advice or personal stories, pictures would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Kate
 
A

azdesertrat

New member
Don't worry, it will heal up.
If you'd like, I'll send you 'Before & After' pics of my scar.
Since I'm a male, it may give you an idea of what the entire scar looks like.
From what I understand, a ladie's breasts cover a pretty good part of th scar.
I know a woman who had a heart problem that was bad enough to need surgery, She CHOSE to undergo a 'Clam-Shell' type cut over the standard cut that goes vertically, instead of horizonatally so she could wear a bikini with the scar being less noticible.
Best of luck, although I'm sure your scar is going to be fine.
It just takes time for it to be less visible.
 
K

KrazyKat2

New member
azdesertrat said:
Don't worry, it will heal up.
If you'd like, I'll send you 'Before & After' pics of my scar.
Since I'm a male, it may give you an idea of what the entire scar looks like.
From what I understand, a ladie's breasts cover a pretty good part of th scar.
I know a woman who had a heart problem that was bad enough to need surgery, She CHOSE to undergo a 'Clam-Shell' type cut over the standard cut that goes vertically, instead of horizonatally so she could wear a bikini with the scar being less noticible.
Best of luck, although I'm sure your scar is going to be fine.
It just takes time for it to be less visible.
Click to expand...

That would be awesome, thank you. Are you able to private message me your pics or do you need my email address?
 
T

tom1989

Guest
I 'm sorry to hear that. I have a proposal, South Korea's cosmetic surgery is a world famous, you can go to do a skin grafts and beauty. Perhaps that will allow you to get better. This is just a proposal, I don't know whether it is feasible.
 
K

KrazyKat2

New member
Thanks Dave, i've been using something very similar but i'm not sure it's really helping much to be honest. I was put off BioOil as i heard it has some quite nasty chemicals in it, so I opted for a more natural blend of oils based mainly on Olive Oil but with Rosehip and other oils added.
 
K

KrazyKat2

New member
Thanks Tom, i'm not financially able to consider an overseas trip at this stage but will bare that in mind for some time in the future if things don't improve.
 
beautifulsoul

beautifulsoul

Super Moderator
I'm sorry to hear about this issue you're having! I hope you're able to figure out a solution soon. I'm 6 years post transplant. My scar healed pretty quickly. It's barely noticeable! It's a long white line. (clamshell cut) I know they used a surgical glue and not stitches. I think that effected the healing time tremendously!
 
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azdesertrat

New member
I had staples, 69 on the outside & dissolving sutures on the inside. I sure felt it when those staples came out! My scar(s) aren't too bad.
I've got 7 scars from chest tubes along with many more small scars from laproscopic surgeries so when I take off my shirt its a mess...
 
L

lilmac1177

New member
i have a road map on my stomach from multiple surgeries at birth for meconium ilieus! they'll never go away, so battle scars ain't a big thing for me ... and my boyfriend loves them! he likes to trace them ;)
 
C

Cmk0808

New member
scarring

GetAttachment.aspx
this is 3 months and 2 weeks post transplant, he only had 4 chest tubes, but 80 external staples.



Christina, CF girlfriend of 8 years
 
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