A great deal of people, especially children find it difficult having to cope with a heart surgery scar. A Canadian (2006) study of adults with this type of scar reported that 58% of the respondents saw themselves as “disfigured,” but 60% said that the scarring did not bother them as much now (At the time of the study) as it had during their younger years.

Providing the best heart surgery scar treatment available can offer some relief. Knowing you are doing everything within your powers to pursue the best final appearance might help a little. It also decreases the risk of developing abnormal scarring such as hypertrophic or keloids scars.

Taking really good care of the wound is the first step into accomplishing this. For the best results it is crucial to avoid infections. Luckily there are products such as medical grade honey dressings which have shown to be not only more effective than conventional methods but also have little to no side effects when compared to antibiotics.

Making sure not to overstretch the wound and scar tissue are also important. Especially the location of the sternotomy scar (vertical on chest) is subject to tension caused by movement. Gently massaging the tissue on the other hand can be very beneficial.

And of course using a product that actually works is essential. Silicone gel patches have not only shown to be the most effective treatment (according to studies) but they also help prevent hypertrophic and keloid scars from developing.  This is a great advantage especially for heart surgery scars because of the delicate skin and tissue on this part of the body.

For more information and tips visit this page about heart surgery scar treatment.