Cream To Heal Scars From Heart Surgery
August 13th, 2007
It’s human nature. We like to look good, right?
That said, one of the common questions I get from patients and caregivers is, “Is there any special cream to heal scars from heart surgery?”
The answer is…. yes, yes, yes. In fact, there are a number of different creams, gels, ointments, and vitamin oils you can apply to help heal scars from all types of heart surgery – open heart, minimally invasive, etc.
In my case, I had aortic and pulmonary valve replacements. Thus, I needed to have my sternum cracked which resulted in two things – pain and a nine inch scar.
My Open Heart Surgery Picture
One Week After Heart Surgery
Two weeks after surgery, I was walking through Rite-Aid wondering, “Hmmmm. Might there be a gel or cream to heal scars from heart surgery?” And then… Right before my eyes… I saw a product called Mederma.
Before I used the product, I talked my surgeon, Vaughn Starnes (USC Medical Center), about Mederma. He looked at the label and said, “This looks pretty good. Go ahead and try it.”
For the next two months, I used Mederma consistently (not religiously) – about once or twice a day. I have to admit the results have been amazing. Here are some pictures that illustrate the healing of my scar during the past 20 months.
Here is a picture of me 10 months after heart valve surgery in Hawaii:
Here is a picture of me 20 months after heart valve surgery on my honeymoon in Fiji:
Pretty amazing pictures, right? You can barely even see the scar on my chest following open heart surgery.
Personally, I don’t think this tremendous healing has been solely because of Mederma. I had a great surgeon and an incredible medical team. However, I do believe that Mederma did have a very positive impact on my chest scar following heart surgery.
I hope this helps answer the question, “Is there any cream to heal scars after heart surgery?”
Keep on tickin!
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| About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates clinical research with the personal experiences of 135 former patients to help future patients and their caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here. |
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