[Scar revision in children: Clinical situations and solutions]

Abstract

The scar of soft tissues is a permanent stigma of a trauma but it can sometimes be improved. It is more or less accepted by the patient and may be the source of a significant physical and psychosocial impact that leads to a request for a scar revision. Even if the child presents generally an excellent ability to heal, the quality of the scar depends on many factors such as the age, the type of scar or trauma and the affected body area. Thus, its aesthetic impact, functional but also on the growth of the child will be different. Moreover, these scars have a number of origins: neonatal surgery, natural history of congenital lesions or after a surgical management; surgeries for orthopedic, cardiac, craniofacial or hand birth defects and congenital malformations; or infectious or traumatic as in the case of burns and animal bites. We have many ways to try to correct or improve these scars, which use all the plastic surgery techniques. However, we need to establish for each case an appropriate management strategy with the objective of not inducing additional sequelae, respecting the growth of the child. Several techniques can be combined and the chronology of the surgical procedures must consider the school, social and family integration of the child.

Keywords: Child; Cicatrice; Enfant; Reprise cicatricielle; Scar; Scar revision; Sequelae; Séquelle.