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Plastic Surgery/Mole Excision
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Question
I recently had a procedure to have my benign (raised) mole excised right above my lip. The surgery was successful but upon the stitches being removed I noticed an indentation or gap in the middle of the incision. It is not too deep. My question is, after applying some silicone gel I notice that the gap is starting to fill in, is this natural collagen filling up the scar? Or is it just dead skin that will come out when I wash or scrub the scar leaving behind the indentation. Thanks!
from Dr. Alan Engler
www.bodysculpture.com
Hi Tony,
It is, of course, hard for me to say for sure but, in general, when wounds pull apart a bit (if that's what happened) they heal by two methods: 1) contraction of surrounding tissue AND 2) addition of collagen tissue that fills in the space. The collagen turns into scar tissue over time.
That being said, just as when you skin your knee, there is always a little fluid that accumulates, and thickens a bit with time, with the healing underneath.
So - I would not scrub that area too hard. There's lots of healing going on - contraction, and new tissue being put down. I would keep it moist with something like Aquaphor and allow it to heal on its own.
And you should, obviously, call your PS about this. I'm happy to help but, particularly in the early post-op period, the care must be directed by the surgeon in question.
I hope that this helps, and good luck,
Dr. Alan Engler
www.bodysculpture.com
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Answers by Expert:
Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS
Expertise
Dr. Engler has answered over 3100 questions as a volunteer expert for AllExperts. His expertise includes breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts, skin cancers, cysts, etc. Dr. Engler has been listed as one New York`s Top Doctors, and as "One of the World's Most Famous Aesthetic Surgeons" (Aesthetic Surgery, TASCHEN Books, Angelika Taschen, Editor). He is the author of 4 books, including "BodySculpture" (a best-selling plastic surgery book on breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks), "EyeScapes" (Plastic Surgery of the Eyelids), "Restylane," and "The Slim Book of Liposuction." Dr. Engler has two US Patents for surgical instruments that he's designed, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Ricki Lake Show (four times), and the Dr. Keith Ablow Show. Videos of his appearances are available on YouTube (search for "DR. ENGLER"), and his discussion of breast implants, also on YouTube is "How to Choose a Breast Implant." His website is www.bodysculpture.com. Thanks for "Likiing" Dr. Engler on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Alan-M-Engler-MD-New-York-Plastic-Surgery-and-Aesthetics/107206405967267?ref=ts&__a=8
Experience
Dr. Alan Engler is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and the author of BodySculpture - Plastic Surgery of the Body for Men and Women (ISBN 0966382749) one of the top-selling plastic surgery books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Education/Credentials
Dr. Engler graduated from Yale University (BA, Russian Studies) and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (MD). He did his residency training in General Surgery and, after that, Plastic Surgery, at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He is on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and is a Special Lecturer in the Department of Dermatology at Columbia University in New York. He has admitting privileges at Beth Israel Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center, both in New York.
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