A physical therapist can help you manage muscle weakness or restore flexibility in a specific area of your body after surgery, but one other aspect that many patients have questions about is post-op wound care. If you don’t help your incision site heal properly, not only could an infection develop, but the wound site may take on a larger or more visible appearance, and most patients would prefer not to draw extra attention to a scar.
We know a thing or two about wound management and how to minimize the appearance of a surgical scar. In today’s blog, we dive into the scar healing process and share some tips for minimizing the appearance of your surgical scar.
The Scar Healing Process
Understanding how wound sites heal and scars form can help you take steps to provide the right healing environment for your body, which can help ensure the incision closes as expected. Here’s a closer look at how wound healing typically occurs after surgery:
- Post-Op Inflammation – Surgery is a trauma on your body, and an inflammatory reaction is your body’s natural response to trauma. During this recovery phase, blood vessels constrict and additional platelets are sent to the wound site to accelerate the healing process. Although you’ll want to follow your doctor’s specific instructions, you’ll likely want to avoid getting your incision site wet and keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight.
- Post-Op Proliferation – After about five days, healing will transition to the proliferation phase, which typically lasts for about 10 days. During this phase, your body begins developing new blood vessels and type III collagen that plays a crucial role in the formation of new skin tissue. Again, keeping the area dry and out of the sun can help the site continue to close while avoiding hyperpigmentation that can be caused by ultraviolet light exposure.
- Post-Op Remodeling – The final and longest stage of scar site recovery is the remodeling stage, which involves the cross-linking of type 1 collagen fibers to solidify the formation of the scar. These collagen fibers are key to the healing process, but ultraviolet sunlight serves to break down collagen (which is the same reason that excessive sunlight exposure can lead to wrinkle formation). Not only can prolonged sunlight serve to make your scar site more visible due to hyperpigmentation, it may actually slow down the healing process, so make it a point to protect your scar from excessive direct sunlight exposure.
Aside from causing hyperpigmentation, which can give your scar a pinker and more visible appearance amidst your skin, poor wound care can lead to a thicker scar or problematic scar tissue. Scar tissue in and of itself isn’t a problem, but large scar tissue formations can irritate nearby muscles and nerves, leading to range of motion restrictions and even the possibility of pain or discomfort. One of the best ways to break up large scar tissue formations and restore normal flexibility in a post-surgical area of your body is by pursuing physical therapy.
Physical therapy can make it less likely that scar tissue will envelop key structures and ensure that wound healing progresses as expected. Although the wound will close much sooner, it can take up to a year for a post-op incision site to fully heal, so it’s important that you protect and care for the area for an extended period after your operation. Your physical therapy team can help with this process as they help restore strength and function in the area that has been addressed by your original operation.
For more information about scar and wound management after an operation, or for help with a different physical issue, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.