San Diego Accutane doctors

Accutane could potentially exacerbate your ulcerative colitis.  Although the link between inflammatory bowel disease and Accutane is still somewhat controversial, most prescribers of Accutane would probably recommend that you go with alternative acne medications.  You should also be aware that the tetracycline family of antibiotics (including doxycycline and minocycline) have also been associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

It would seem prudent to discontinue the Accutane prior to any surgical procedure including knee surgery.  Accutane seems to be associated with delayed wound healing and hypertrophic scar formation.

Any such decision to discontinue Accutane, however, should be made in consultation with both your treating dermatologist as well as your orthopaedic surgeon.  They may have a different opinion on the matter.

The redness related to Accutane can persist for some time, but should gradually improve after Accutane is discontinued (over weeks to months).  I would suggest waiting 6 months after Accutane before you consider laser treatments not only to minimize the risk of scarring, but by that time, most of the redness may have resolved on its own.

I would encourage you to apply a good daily sunscreen (at least SPF 30).  Consider Aveeno ultra-calming moisturizer with SPF 30.  This product can also help reduce redness.  A green tinted makeup can be very effective at camouflaging the red.