Hoopa, CA
A 40-year-old female asked:
i had a plastic surgery in 2006 after gastric bypass in 2003. recently, i started to have pulsating or throbbing sensation on the ps scar. what is causing this?
6 doctor answers • 13 doctors weighed in

Dr. Otto Placik answered
Plastic Surgery 34 years experience
Sounds unusual: This is not typical. A change in the scar 7 years after should be evaluated. Pulsating or throbbing suggests a vascular lesion which is very unusual.
5240 viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Tim Neavin answered
Plastic Surgery 19 years experience
Too general to know: Where is the scar? What surgery did you have?
5230 viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Arian Mowlavi answered
Plastic Surgery 27 years experience
Scar tissue: As the scar tissue becomes more prominent, it pulls on sensory nerves. In order to soften the scar tissue, patient must have steroid injections.
5228 viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Payman Danielpour answered
Plastic Surgery 19 years experience
Painful Scar: There are many causes of a painful scar. The most common is just normal healing that itches and subsides rather quickly. If the pain persists it is usually due to a neuroma or an impinged or cut nerve in the area of the scar. The scar can also be tethered and cause discomfort due to its tethering and contracting on the surrounding tissue. A more rare cause is scar endometriosis.
5228 viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Thomas Fiala answered
Plastic Surgery 33 years experience
Painful scar: The most common cause of a painful scar is a neuroma - where a sensory nerve ending gets mixed up in the scar tissue. But if it truly is "pulsating", like an artery would be - then that needs a more urgent evaluation.
5100 viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Leonard Grossman answered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
See below: You may be having inflammatory changes or even a keloid scar formation, even though many years have passed. Have a ps evaluate you.
4822 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
Last updated Dec 13, 2013
People also asked
Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere.
24/7 visits
$15 per month
Disclaimer:
Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.