scar tissue / cortisone injections

[geg100]

the main problems with us would be colour skin change and depression.

[geg100]

sorry bout quick reply i was in a real rush when posting.any other questions feel free.

[Taz]

Taz, thanks for that. I remeber reading some of your posts a year ago and am v.pleased that you have good progress.

I'm afraid I am not an expert on scars (yet) so I don't know the diff between keloid and hypertrophic. Isn't this some sort of classification of external skin scarring?

Anyway I am interested that Mr L gave you these shots and they worked. Did you have to ask or did he offer spontaneously?
Also were they lots of little injections all around the scarring?

Hypertrophic scarring is when the scar becomes pronounced, and is thick , dark and large in appearance.  The thing with hypertrophic scars is that they *do* go away..but it can take anything up to 5-10 years.

Keloid scars are similar in appearance but the scar often grows out of the incision boundaries and they are permanent.

I saw 2 GPs post op, one said I had keloids, the other said hypertrophic. Levick also said they were hypertrophic.  I am 100% sure they are hypertrophic as the scar has always stayed within the incision boundaries.

Levick gave me these shots at a 30 month post op follow up. I expressed my unhappiness with the scars and he basically pulled out a needle and said lets sort it out!

He squeezed the scars and pricked each scar once, at a certain angle in the middle. 5 days later they'd gone from being very fat and bloody in colour to flat and a less intense red.  

Currently they are still red and obvious but the colour is fading *slowly*. I still expect them to be there in another years time.

The only thing that bothers me is that I will probably need revision due to other concerns, and will gain a new set of scars from this. Levick said that the incisions would be much smaller this time though so hopefully they wont be so bad. Plus I can get the shot alot earlier than before if I do form hypertrophic scars.

[orrible]

Taz,

How many months post operative are you now and do you have any pics you could share or knowledge of how the chest changes from early post operative to further on? Their are a number of us here having real concerns so your knowledge would be invaluable.

thanks

[Taz]

Hey there stonecold,

I am about 33 months post op, apart from gaining a little fat, things havent really changed since 7-8 months post op.

I'm pleased with my LHS but my RHS has a few craters (they really are that big!) and the nipple is lower down than my LHS one. When I raise my right arm the skin on my RHS looks like its trying to stretch but can't, so it looks kinda horrific!

One thing I must stress is that I had a moderate/severe case..... 700ccs out of one side and 500 out of the other.

I have gained fat back in both sides, a fair grabbable amount, but I believe this is due to my incredibly poor diet in the 18 months after my op (went back to uni- enough said!).

Like I said before, I'm in the process of shifting my weight and I hope that the fat that has gathered in my chest will go away.Mr Levick seems to agree that this fat should go away with proper diet and exercise, if not it can be sucked out again.

I do have pics, but only pre op and 1 month post op ones. I will take some soon and post them all.

[orrible]

Hi Taz

Thanks for the reply, i look forward to your pictures. I always thought that once liposuction had ben carried out on the chest it wasnt likely to get fat back their. 33 months is along time post op, are you definitely likely to have revision and if so will Mr Levick still honour his work that far on? Good luck on the diet.

thanks

[Taz]

Hey there stonecold,

I am about 33 months post op, apart from gaining a little fat, things havent really changed since 7-8 months post op.

I'm pleased with my LHS but my RHS has a few craters (they really are that big!) and the nipple is lower down than my LHS one. When I raise my right arm the skin on my RHS looks like its trying to stretch but can't, so it looks kinda horrific!

One thing I must stress is that I had a moderate/severe case..... 700ccs out of one side and 500 out of the other.

I have gained fat back in both sides, a fair grabbable amount, but I believe this is due to my incredibly poor diet in the 18 months after my op (went back to uni- enough said!).

Like I said before, I'm in the process of shifting my weight and I hope that the fat that has gathered in my chest will go away.Mr Levick seems to agree that this fat should go away with proper diet and exercise, if not it can be sucked out again.

I do have pics, but only pre op and 1 month post op ones. I will take some soon and post them all.

[phantom]

Hello Taz

Out of interest, is Mr Levick happy to give revision as part of the surgical guarantee despite being more than 12 months post-op?