Robotic Surgery. "The scar really heals nicely."
Other options include silicone sheets, used only after the incision has
healed. These sheets can be obtained either by prescription or over the
counter and have been clinically proven to be very effective at reducing
hypertrophic scars thanks to their moisture-retaining properties. Another
option for high-risk incisions are highly specialized dressings that use nega-
tive pressure therapy to improve blood flow and limit dehiscence of the
wound.
4. Cut through the umbilicus
For abdominal surgery, one way to dramatically reduce or eliminate scar-
ring is to cut through the umbilicus. "The existing defect is there," explains
Dr. Ross. "We all have a scar in the umbilicus. We make the incision over
the belly button, so when you heal, nothing shows." Dr. Ross was one of
the first surgeons to pioneer a single-incision technique that's performed
through a port using a 1.2 cm incision over the umbilicus.
Other options to reduce scarring include using a robot to convert open
procedures — like pancreatectomies or total gastrectomies — to minimal-
ly invasive ones. "If you can't avoid making an incision, make as few as
possible," says Alexander Rosemurgy, MD, FACS, director of the Surgical
Digestive Disorders and GERD Center at Florida Hospital Tampa and Dr.
Ross's colleague.
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O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A Y 2 0 1 5
"If you can't avoid making an
incision, make as few as possible."
— Alexander Rosemurgy, MD, FACS
