EFFICACY OF VARIOUS SCAR REVISION TECHNIQUES IN MAXILLOFACIAL REGION- A PROSPECTIVE DOUBLE-BLIND STUDY.

Aim- Facial scars cause both psychological and aesthetical torment to the patient?s and have a distressing impact on their quality of life and self esteem. Scar revision surgeries require diligent caring and solely depends on surgeon?s perception of pleasant aesthetic features. As there is no ?cook book? approach to scar revision, it requires some talent and honing of skills. Here we present a research study on management of facial scars, through various revision techniques and compare their efficacy in restoring normal anatomy, with minimal complications. Methods- This study was undertaken in our tertiary care center, over a period of two years. 96 patients were selected with disfiguring scars caused mainly due to trauma, burns or other iatrogenic factors. Techniques of scar revision included Z plasty, W plasty and VY plasty. Results-The scar revision surgery yielded excellent results. Complications were encountered in 5% of cases, namely, haematoma formation, secondary infection and delayed healing. Regarding the efficacy of scar revision, excellent improvement was seen in 60% patients, moderate improvement was seen in 30% patients and mild improvement was seen in 10% patients. Conclusions: Various surgical scar revision techniques can be done to treat specific types of scars, based on their size and site. A thorough knowledge of skin physiology, biomechanics, facial aesthetic principles, and the surgical geometry of soft-tissue surgery is mandatory for the surgeon and can help in minimizing the scarring.