SCAR REVISION PRINCIPLES APPLIED TO EXCISIONAL, IRREGULARIZATION AND V-TO-Y ADVANCEMENT FLAP TECHNIQUES

In adults, every cutaneous tissue injury reaching the dermis layer leads to scar forma- tion. Scars may bring significant problems of both a functional and aesthetical nature and this often causes patients to seek surgical scar revision. For this reason, several scar revision techniques have been developed, in order to adapt to the specific scar charac- teristics. For the most part, widened scars are treated with excisional techniques, whereas scars which are not situated parallel to Relaxed Skin Tension Lines (RSTLs) or are retracted are treated with irregularization techniques. It is the responsibility of the attending physician to choose the appropriate technique to treat the scar. Pre-operative planning and timing of the treatment are also important in order to obtain a satisfactory result.