Soft Tissue Massage on Scar

[lakelover]

I have been massaging the scar on my TKR since I started therapy a month ago. The PT showed me how and then last week suggested I press as hard a I could while massaging to help flatten out the scar tissue. There was one particularly "bumpy" spot. While doing this I felt a "pop" and now have what appears to be a blood blister at that site. The PT also feels that this is just a "bleeder' of sorts and that it will absorb on it's own. It has a slightly pinkish area around it but is not infected,swollen or tender. It just looks bad when the rest of the incision looks fine.
Has anyone else had this experience? Don't see the OS for two weeks.

 

[Josephine]

Hi, lakelover, and welcome to BoneSmart.

Personally I'm not a terrific fan of massaging scars because they'll usually settle themselves down eventually anyway. But a lot of people do and there's no harm in it.

As for your 'pop' what happened was that a suture underneath where you were massaging finally gave up and broke. Then the tissue it was holding also gave up and split, only a tiny wee bit but enough to cause a little blood blister as you said. Have you ever nipped the end of your finger in something and caused a rather nasty looking blood blister? But it goes away after a few days? Well, it's that kind of thing. Nothing to worry about - nothing whatsoever.

Had the area been left to it's own devices, the absorbable suture would have just gently broken down, the tissue would have flatten out naturally and you'd hardly have noticed it. The irregularities you see in your scar are all due to the sutures underneath. Leave them be. Nature will ultimately take care of them.

 

[Mayberry]

Hi Lakelover, My OS also told me the same thing. He said to open a vitamin E capsule and if I said I had any bumps in my scar and if I pushed on them and it hurt to rub harder and breakdown that scar tissue. I must say it hurts like hec but it does work. I had one lump that was oh about 1/4 inch around under the skin and know it is almost completely gone.

Maybery

 

[lakelover]

Thanks Josephine and Mayberry, I will rest easier now. I trust the PT but I am a worrier and things were going so well.

I had read this forum quite a lot before signing up and I think the postings are very informative. There is also a wide variety of experiences and they do not focus on only the negative---this is wonderful.

I am doing well after my TKR on March 18th. Have 110 and zero bend in the knee, can drive the car and also walk just fine without a cane. I can also do steps one leg at a time and just enjoyed an afternoon doing odd jobs in my flower garden. So far so good. My goal is to take LONG walks and ride my bike-two things that I have really missed.

 

[Josephine]

Oooh - working in the garden. What bliss! I can't wait to go out and get my peas in and some purple sprouting broccoli for next year!

 

[TBONE]

My PT has been big on this. He says..gotta get the scar to behave just like regular skin. I've gotta say, it's not fun, but I think it helps as my scars look great. But Jo is probably right as usual. They would probably settle down on their own in time.
Tom
BTHR, 4/1/09

 

[lakelover]

The OS, who I saw today for the first time since surgery, concurred with Jo. Also the blood blister opened in two pin-hole sized spots last Friday and bled very lightly on and off until today. Looks much better. The OS thinks my body was reacting to the internal stitches and he is not at all concerned.