How do i prepare my child for scar revision? my daughter was born with a hairlip and she developed a lot of scar tissue in the area after surgery. the hairlip was repaired well, but i have been wondering if anything can be done to reduce the scar. she is

I : I am not sure if you are asking about psychological preparation or physical preparation in anticipation of surgery. In the former, probably the most powerful influence will be the child's desire for surgery. If they are self conscious of the lip and constantly looking in the mirror then they may be eager for surgery and will require little mental preparation. If, however, they are pleased with their appearance they may take your insistence as a sign of disapproval. In regards to pre-operative preparation, the surgeon's office should be equipped to provide you with sufficient information and instructions to adequately prepare her.

Scar : Scar revisions and children having a child with a cleft lip (sometimes called harelip) can be difficult at first, but once the repair is done you can usually see the light at the end of the tunnel. What remains difficult is seeing your child through a parent's eyes. Cleft repairs can make amazing improvements in the appearance of your child's lip though, like all surgery, always results in scars. Sometimes those scars are minimal and other times they can be more noticeable. However, every scar on your child's face is noticeable to you. My advice to my patients is to wait until the child has their own opinion. That usually will not happen until the age of 8 or older. Younger children can't really understand the choice of having a scar revision. I believe they need to know the options and really understand what they are choosing. A scar revision does not remove a scar entirely - that is simply never possible. In some cases a scar revision can make a very nice improvement. The best way to make that decision is with an experienced plastic surgeon and with the full involvement and understanding of the child and his/her parents. There may come a day when your child feels very strongly about improving the scars from the cleft repair. There may not. But ultimately (in my opinion) it should be left to your child to decide upon the need to have another procedure. I hope this info helps!

I : I would recommend that you seek a consultation with either a pediatric craniofacial surgeon or a plastic surgeon with experience in repair of pediatric craniofacial abnormalities to determine if revision of your child's surgery should be done. If surgery is done, then it should be done in a children's hospital so that she can be properly prepared for the experience with child life specialists.