Did You Massage Your Thymectomy Scar?
Many hospitals and health institutions recommend scar massaging a few weeks post-operation. Different massaging methods may be suggested, but they all have the same purpose. The aim of scar massaging is to promote skin mobility around the scar area and bring proper blood flow to the surgical site, which helps heal the scar.
My hospital, care staff, or surgical team did not tell me to massage my scar. I saw that massaging is typically standard after surgery when I stumbled upon it while reading something online. I started trying it. But even a good month or two (I don't remember) after my transsternal thymectomy surgery, it was extremely sensitive and painful to move the skin around my scar. The feeling of what I thought were the wires beneath my skin was stomach-turning. And even when I tolerated the massage for just a few minutes, I would be sore afterward. Massaging was never a habit I was able to stick with.
Did any of you massage your scar after your thymectomy with any success? Do you believe it helped your healing?
Can you tell me if the scar did indeed fade? Or fade to just a white line?
Jazmin Clayton, scarring is generally found mostly in dark skinned people. However, genetics & location of the scar also play an important part.
Several years ago I had a different kind of surgery. The deep infection I got from it also left a huge scar that, as you all have said, pulled, felt like a bunch of needles poking me, & was seriously puckered as if I was gathering it as in sewing a full skirt. My husband massaged it for some time & all those symptoms went away. So, with your doctor's approval, massage the healed incision until symptoms resolve. Hope this helps. Best wishes! - Janice (Myasthenia-Gravis.com Team)
Jazimin, while for some people genetic do play a role. For me personally they do not. So there again we are all different not just with MG. The scaring for most also depends on the type of incision. There are many different types of creams & essential oils to help reduce scaring. Cross friction massage or cross fiber friction massage, or deep friction massage whatever the name one chooses to call it. Are all to help with scar tissues, adhesions and more in helping the body heal. This includes the "stuck to whatever is there" feeling. This is an older article about scaring & genetics, but.... Best wishes to you!! Sally Farrier... Myasthenia-Gravis.com (team member). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19508304/
yes you are right that scarring can be more prominent in people with darker complexion. I have 4 incisions from my surgery and only 1 of those have faded, another has shortened in length but the other 2 left some nasty scars. I wish I had known about the different types of creams I could have used to avoid scarring. I do use oils now but I don't think they are helping. - Jazmin (MG team member)
Thank you ladies for the reply. I found from my sister-in-law nurse that the back side of the scar is scar tissue. As I exercise and move it or lightly massage it, it should loosen up and feel better. It won’t always feel like it is stuck. And so far, it does seem to loosen every day since I am now cleared to move around more. And also I went thru muscle atrophy since I wasn’t allowed to move much. But it didn’t last long. I kind of thought I should have seen a physical therapist. I found exercises on internet.
