Scar after ICD removal?

Hi PM/ICD'ers,

I just had my ICD removed entirely and it looks like the scar is going to be a pretty gnarly, raised hypertrophic/keloid type. It was already red and very uncomfortable for most of the past 14 months I've had it in, but it looks like it's about to be a lot worse, considering they went in directly through the old scar to remove it. 

Does anyody have any experience with this and what I can expect? And what I can do to fix it once it heals/let it heal the best way it possibly can? I'm a single, 33 year old guy, so I guess I'm pretty sensitive to the way this is going to look...but, it is what it is. 

Anyway, any advice or similar experiences would be great to hear and very much appreciated. Thank you all in advance.

4 Comments

scar

by Persephone - 2021-07-12 21:22:10

Hi Gatsby - I don't have direct experience to contribute here, all I can say is keep it out of the sun -  protect the area from sunlight, which is actually pretty challenging, considering most of our clothing lets sunlight in.  If I could go back in time to correct a visible facial scar I got around your age and apply that experience to your situation, I think I would seriously consider consulting a cosmetic surgeon if that is possible for you, and maybe get multiple evaluations/ treatment plans for comparison purposes.  I hope you're feeling well notwithstanding the scarring issues.

I would like to “bump” this thread…

by asully - 2021-07-13 02:22:28

I am not having trouble with keloid scarring but just regular scarring and a hard raised lump where my CRT-P was.  It looks, and feels like I still have a device in the pocket, and the scars are worse than insertion scars (it looks like someone thought I was a vampire and staked me lmao).  I've been curious if there is a good option like maybe a laser treatment or other cosmetic procedure that may help.

Gatsby- I'm lucky I don't have keloid scars, I can imagine how unpleasant that is!

Bio-oil?

by Gotrhythm - 2021-07-13 16:22:01

After a bad fall caused damage to her mouth, my sister in law was left with keloid scarring on her lip. She put Bio-oil on it and swore it helped although it took several months of treatment. Her lip looks normal now

Scarring

by Julros - 2021-07-13 22:23:49

Wounds remodel for up to a year after injury/incision. They are generally raised and redden at first, and then as the tissue heals and the collogen builds and then contracts, they strink and turn white. Besure to optimise nutrition, including Vitamin C, and zinc. I don't think though that there is much that can be done about keloids. 

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