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Caesarian or c-section is performed when there is some difficulty in normal childbirth. C-section consists of making an incision on the abdomen and picking up the baby from the uterus and then stitching the uterus and the stomach. This is a major operation in which the incision is quite big. Normally the surgeon makes a bikini cut so that the incision is low in the abdomen and is not visible in normal conditions including swimming. Sometimes the position of the baby may need a vertical incision in which case the resultant scar may be visible.
Any surgery which requires a cut will leave a scar. The appearance and the quality of the scar depend on the skin condition, the patient’s genetic ability to heal, and the suturing by the surgeon. In a c-section, a scar will be there which is red and a little raised but it may fade with time. In a couple of years the c-section scar may turn into a white line. However since the final scar depends on the trauma, the type of closure of the wound, and the location, there may be cases which need scar revision to make it better and improve its quality.
Generally soon after the c- section and closure of the incision a tape will be put to cover the incision. This is a medicated tape which performs the healing part of the incision. The tape need not be removed and if the tape is left intact during the healing process, the scar will not become too apparent. After three or four weeks of the c-section, on the doctor’s advice, a little massaging may effectively help the scar to fade. A little bit of medicated oil can be gently massaged so that the scar does not become permanent and will fade. There are some creams and lotions which claim that scars left by c-sections will fade but you can never be too sure of the validity of the claims. There is however no harm in trying them if the doctor prescribes it.
Laser treatment is effective in most scar revision and it can also help in c section scar revision. There are many types of lasers which can be effectively used for c-section scar revision. Variable pulse light (VPL) laser therapy reduces the redness and makes the scar almost invisible. In other techniques of scar revision, the old scar is removed and the tissue is restructured. Most scar revisions can be performed under local anesthesia and hospitalization is not needed. |
