Best Scar Revision Surgeons and their techniques?

[BAL]

Hi Guys, as some of you know, I have had four terribles surgeries done in the UK at just 21. I'm now 24 and have four thick scars. I had a 5th procedure on Nov'05 with Dr Feller, who extended my topmost scar and got me 2100 grafts which were placed in my front.

 

So far the growth from Dr Feller's procedure has been pleasing but Dr Feller says that its thin for 8 months post op and that I would probably need to touch it up in my next procedure.

 

I am now looking for advice on who to consult with for my scar revision. Dr Feller obviously knows my case better than others and is my strongest candidate so far but as I have such severe scarring, I need to go to the BEST and so I am looking for some unbiased advice on who to go for and why.

 

I have very lax skin for someone who has had 5 surgeries but Dr Feller feels my skin is rather elastic and so theres a chance my scar could stretch back. I therefore need to go to someone who uses proven techniques to eliminate that chance. What do you think?

 

As I will probably be touching up my hairline, I would need a surgeon who produces high yields in terms of growth.

 

There should be photos of my scarring in my photo album if your interested. It would be great to hear from scar revision patients.

 

Thanks

 

BAL

[BAL]

Hi Guys, as some of you know, I have had four terribles surgeries done in the UK at just 21. I'm now 24 and have four thick scars. I had a 5th procedure on Nov'05 with Dr Feller, who extended my topmost scar and got me 2100 grafts which were placed in my front.

 

So far the growth from Dr Feller's procedure has been pleasing but Dr Feller says that its thin for 8 months post op and that I would probably need to touch it up in my next procedure.

 

I am now looking for advice on who to consult with for my scar revision. Dr Feller obviously knows my case better than others and is my strongest candidate so far but as I have such severe scarring, I need to go to the BEST and so I am looking for some unbiased advice on who to go for and why.

 

I have very lax skin for someone who has had 5 surgeries but Dr Feller feels my skin is rather elastic and so theres a chance my scar could stretch back. I therefore need to go to someone who uses proven techniques to eliminate that chance. What do you think?

 

As I will probably be touching up my hairline, I would need a surgeon who produces high yields in terms of growth.

 

There should be photos of my scarring in my photo album if your interested. It would be great to hear from scar revision patients.

 

Thanks

 

BAL

[Martin]

You are only 8 months out from your surgery with Dr Feller so there is bound to be more growth to come in. Have you seen Dr Feller in person to assess your growth or was it done by photos?

I know Wolf is good at scar revision. Would it not be best to stick with Feller who has previously performed on you though as wouldn't he be able to gauge from your previous surgery what was best the next time round to achieve the best possible result for you.?

 

Your 6 month pictures were very impressive

before feller

 

[BAL]

I sense that Dr Feller is somewhat reluctant to perform scar revision on me due to the elasicity of my skin. He initially suggested FUE into the scars rather than scar revision, which I don't think is the right plan.

 

After seeing my 8 month post op pics and he said that its thinner than expected and that he recommends focusing on the frontal zone again and then dealing with my scars afterwards. I can't afford to wait another year on dealing with my scars as they are really inhibiting.

 

I'll rather hit the scars and the frontal zone together with scar revision. I've explained this to Dr Feller and I'll have to see what he says. I'm going to call him about scar revision and whether he is comfortable doing it.

 

Like I said I am pleased with my growth but my hair is sparser than the flashed photographs suggests. My RHS is a lot sparser than the LHS. The non-flashed pics give a more accurate picture. I'll have to wait a few months and see how my growth progresses but I think Dr Feller is right in that I will need to touch up my front and so scar revision is really my best bet.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Bal,

I think your best option is to follow the method of scar revision that I outlined in my private email to you which originated as a suggestion from Dr. Hasson in Vancouver.

 

You should indeed do a standard scar revision using STAPLES, and then every two weeks every other staple should be removed and then replaced 2 weeks later. This cycling should go on for 4-6 months and then the scar watched. IF it works, then it should be repeated on the other scars. During the last surgery some hairbaring skin should be removed with the scar and transplanted to the front to thicken it up if it is necessary by then.

 

I recommend that you find a local UK doctor who is capable of doing this. Have him contact me and we can coordinate this trial. If it works, it may be the answer for many other patients who have especially flexible scalp skin as you do. You do not have to wait. All you need to do is find the right doctor and go for it. I think it is the best and most reasonable chance you have to SIGNIFICANTLY minimize that scarring from your prior surgeries.

 

Regards,

Dr Feller

[BAL]

Originally posted by Dr. Alan Feller:

You should indeed do a standard scar revision using STAPLES, and then every two weeks every other staple should be removed and then replaced 2 weeks later. This cycling should go on for 4-6 months and then the scar watched.

 

Hello Dr Feller,

 

Thank you for taking the time to post in my thread. I like the theory you emailed me and I am willing to try it. In fact, as I live in isolation, I am prepared to keep the staple cycle going for 9+ months and so I could be an extreme test subject.

 

Will the tightness pain subside eventually? Eitherway, I think I will cope as I know it could help me long term.

 

One thing though, do you intend to revise as much of my scars as possible or just a single scar? I really want to get most (if not all) of the scars revised in my next surgery and hopefully we can also get my frontal zone tweaked.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Bal,

I think the best course of action would be to revise the scar you believe is the worst. We would completely remove it and then do a two layer closure (inside absorbable suture, outside staples).Then I would take what ever small number of grafts that comes with it and place it into the front hairline. Then you would go back to the UK and start the trial. By the way, you don't need to come to me to have the first revision done, you can have just about any cosmetic surgeon in the UK do it. You are certainly welcome to come out to New York, but you can save a trip by doing it locally.

Dr. Feller

[BAL]

Dr Feller,

 

to ensure that we are on the same wavelength, I have sent you an email (with a photo) for which I would appreciate if you could read. It outlines what I believe to be the most appropriate solutions for my next session. I will also ring you later today so that we can discuss these plans and see what the best course of action is.

 

Kind Regards

 

BAL

[Guest]

Dr. Feller,

Is this the first time this approach t oscar revision has been taken? Is this something that Dr. Hasson has already been doing?

[BAL]

Dr. Feller,

Is this the first time this approach t oscar revision has been taken? Is this something that Dr. Hasson has already been doing?

 

From what Dr Feller has told me, this approach has never been tried before.

[Guest Landen]

Giving this guy advice to go to "just about any cosmetic surgeon in the UK" is the most absurd advice I have ever heard of coming from a doctor. You can't be serious. This is setting this already scarred patient up for a disaster. Not "any" cosmetic surgeon deals with properly removing a strip, during a revision. How deep to cut and the potential for nerve damage if done improperly. Not to mention, hair transection and improper closure.

 

I can't believe what I read on these boards sometimes!

[Guest Landen]

By the way, you don't need to come to me to have the first revision done, you can have just about any cosmetic surgeon in the UK do it. You are certainly welcome to come out to New York, but you can save a trip by doing it locally.

Dr. Feller

 

Unbelievable! Also, you are telling him to do this on his worst scar.

[BAL]

Hey Landen,

 

Thank you for your concerns mate but don't worry theres no chance any UK surgeon will be revising my severe scarring. Unfortunately I have learned the hard way how disasterous "some" UK surgeon's work can be. I've been suffering ever since.

 

I have had consultations with most of the top UK surgeons before meeting Dr Feller and none of them wanted to know anyway.

 

I rang Dr Feller yesterday with my concerns with his last post and he told me that he is willing to perform the scar revision himself. Dr Feller also assured me that a UK surgeon would only be needed for stapling once I'm back.

[AJG]

Hi, Just discovered this forum (thanks BAL!) I would like to back up BAL's comments that Dr Feller is a true ethical person so I think you Landen are misreading Feller's comments here. Of course it must be a competent UK surgeon (competent in suturing not hair transplants) and Dr F is offering to talk to them and go through his idea on the phone. With that amount of taking out, putting back staples, BAL would have to have a lot of money and time just for the 7 hour flights each way! Anyway, BAL has said that this is not an option, so it is probably trip to Long Island again (or many BAL if you are going with Dr F's idea!)

 

Anyway I digress, I had a scar revision with Dr F in March of this year plus 2300 HT repair in front third from 3 x previous UK London butcher sessions in the early 1990's. The old HT itself was OK ish for the technology available then (pluggy!) but the scars are not so good, one the size of a 50p piece, and removed using a punch and then sliced! Dr Feller cut out two of my scars and joined them together using the removed skin for my 2300 session. It is still healing and I'm reserving judgement as to the HT and scar revision success until the 12 month anniversary. (I'm playing the waiting game!) One thing is for sure, was that the work on the scar for me was a bonus, and it is 100 times better than it was before. It is closed with internal sutures and tricho staples.

 

BAL, I will meet with you, show you the pictures that Dr F took and you can see my scar for yourself. I can buzz my hair down to a UK grade6 ish, even shorter if it wasn't for the other HT scars still being visible. Might take a trip to Long Island next year if it troubles me so much (Not such an issue right now as I'm growing my hair a bit)

 

Dr Feller, if you are still on this board, and you remember my visit, what is the difference between me and BAL? You said that my previous scars hadn't stretched, is BAL much more rubbery? How can you tell?

[Guest Landen]

There is no misreading on my part, and there is no question of ethics. There is a question of the advice given.

[BAL]

Hey AJG, I'll lookforwad to seeing you mate . Good growing to you!

 

BAL

[Guest]

That's great! That's the kind of team work BAL needs.

[BAL]

That is great news.. I'm ecstatic to have Dr Rogers handle the stapling part of this experiment. He's the UK's leading surgeon and he uses staples on his own patients so he was an ideal choice. I'm very thankful for his willingness to assist in my situation

[BigBill1234]

I know this is old... But does anyone know how it turned out for BAL?

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Bal Im the same way as I had a huge stretched scar.

Probably 5-8 mm all the way around from Nuhart.

This was on my first surgery.

Then it stretched again to 6-9 from a 900 graft case from Chicago fricking Hair

Then I had 2000 grafts with the old scar removed from SMG and the scar got noticeably thinner but still stretched to about 3-4.

Then I went back and had only a revision and my scar is now pretty damn thin 1 - 2 1/2mm with the 2 1/2mm being about 1/4 -1/2 inch long on those vulnerable corners

I recently had fue grafts put into them and Im going for another round to finish the job.

My girlfriend has a hard time finding the scar now but I want it totally undetectable.

 

I also can pinch a nice fold of skin around the entire scar but for some reason guys like us will stretch.

Ive elected to only do fue now because Im scared of it stretching again.

If I were you I would ONLY do a revision one scar at a time or fue all of them with a low density each time.

Ive had a couple of compound fractures with plenty of stitches for deep wounds and most of those scars stretched also.

How are your body scars?

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Geez maybe I should of read the entire thread as its ancient and Bal is no where to be found

Thanks alot Bill

[omy]

PGP That is a pretty good amount of grafts from SMG or anyone for that size scar . Did you have staples or a double layer closure ? The healing from that is pretty good and with the fue even better . Good info .

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

I had sutures the first time with Nuhart.

Staples the second time with Chicago hair

Staples the third time with SMG and sutures the last time with SMG with double layer.

[BigBill1234]

Sorry, PLEASE GROW PLEASE, I said I knew it was old... I was just doing a little digging and wondered if anyone knew what happened to the guy.

[parable]

Hey Spex,

 

How wide was the scar before the cycle and how wide did the scar end up after the cycle?

It looks to be around 1 cm in the after pic but I'm not to sure. Can you please clarify?

 

Also, food for thought; has Dr. Feller or any doctor for that matter thought about acquiring smaller staples?

 

I've noticed that there is at least 5mm from one end of the staple to the other. If someone can get smaller staples, I wonder if that would stop the stretching of the linear scar even further?