Removing scars and wound marks in Türkiye using the W-Plasty technique.

Scars are the final outcome of wound healing, which can significantly impact patients’ physical and psychological well-being. Therefore, scar removal in Türkiye has a substantial effect on improving patients’ quality of life by creating scars that are of higher cosmetic and functional acceptability. The W-Plasty technique is a common method in restorative cosmetic surgery for scar and wound improvement. It involves making multiple sequential triangular incisions on both sides of the scar.

What is W-Plasty surgery:

The W-Plasty technique reduces the appearance of scars by primarily deceiving the eyes. In this technique, multiple triangles are cut along the long side of the scar and then flipped to the other side of the scar. The resulting zigzag pattern creates an irregular broken line that poorly reflects light, making the original scar less noticeable.

W-Plasty works best with linear scars longer than 2 cm at an angle less than 35 degrees to the RSTL (Resting Skin Tension Lines), such as short scars on the forehead or cheeks and scars near the hairline or on curved body parts. The technique is not suitable for longer scars as the zigzag pattern may make the scar more prominent and increase the wound size.

Advantages and disadvantages of W-Plasty in scar removal:

W-Plasty involves dividing the edges of a scar into small triangular components without turning or wicking and is used to:

• Scars that are not aligned with the loose skin line.
• Scars on curved surfaces such as mandibular borders and concave surfaces.
• U-shaped Trapdoor deformation.
• Scars on anatomical transitional areas including cleft palate hairline, peristaltic stenosis, and depressed scars associated with pin site scars and hanging neck deformity correction.

Advantages of W-Plasty:

• Minimal risks.
• Relatively easy planning and execution.
• Flexibility in motion, benefiting from the small size of the flaps for lateral movement scars on curved surfaces like the jaw.
• Reduces tension through multidirectional fashion, improving previously hypertrophic scars by dividing the scar margins into smaller triangular parts. Thus, redirecting the forces of contraction and converting the dispersing lines from vertical to oblique, mitigating the tendon effect of linear scars.
• Achieves a camouflage effect by dividing the scar into very small parts and blending them with intact skin.

Disadvantages of W-Plasty:

• Certain tissue width must be sacrificed during the procedure, which may limit its use in specific body areas, such as parallel scars to red borders like the eyelids.
• Longer overall resulting scar length.

Scar Removal in Türkiye:

The medical team at REHABTÜRK provides the best treatment options and free consultations by keeping up with the latest medical techniques and methods.

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