Scar tissue and redness 4 months post op. Can I do anything to speed up my recovery?

Question

I had surgery roughly 3.5 months ago. I had both lipo and gland removal. My concern is that as the scar tissue starts to build up the nipple is beginning to show through a tshirt again the way it did prior to surgery. My PS did give me a steroid shot about 4 weeks ago, but so far I have not seen much impact. My other (possibly biggest) concern is redness directly under the incision. Is there anything I can do on my end to help speed the recovery up? The redness is making the nipple appear bigger

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Jschau1980,every plastic surgeon has his own postoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Robert M. Tornambe, MD · Answer

Jeff.  I appreciate your concern, but it is still somewhat early in your recovery process. It can take as long as 6 to 12 months for all scar tissue to settle down. The steroid injections are a good idea and I would also use over-the-counter scar creams to help scar maturation. Stay in contact with your plastic surgeon and try to be patient and optimistic. Best of luck.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question.  In most instances only time will ultimately soften your scars to result in your final results.  I would recommend gentle massage of your tissues to help the process and maintain close contact with your surgeon to ensure a smooth recovery.  After about 6 months your long-term results will be known and the decision for any revision procedure can be had.  Hope this helps.

Scar tissue and redness 4 months post op. Can I do anything to speed up my recovery?

Answers (3)