Scar revision.

Individuals bearing scars deemed functionally or cosmetically undesirable often seek the services of a surgeon to eliminate the scars and to restore the tissue to its preinjury state. The foremost task of the physician is to inform the patient that elimination of scars is almost impossible, but that improvement is realistic. It should be stressed to the patient that scar revision replaces one scar for another in an attempt to improve the acceptability of that scar. A patient with realistic expectations is more likely to be a satisfied patient. This article examines the nature of scars and scar revision and the different surgical techniques available.