Therapies

Some of the Keloid treatments that are available are as follows

• Steroid Injections
• Surgical Excision/Removal
• Silicone Gel/dressings
• Pressure Therapy
• Laser Treatments
• Radiation
• Cryotherapy [Freeze

Keloid scars: a new method of treatment combining surgery with interstitial radiotherapy

 A method is described for the treatment of the linear keloid scar, by surgical excision and post-operative irradiation delivered locally to the base of the sutured edges of the scar, by an iridium-192 wire. The wire is after-loaded into a plastic tube using the technique described by Paine (1972). A dose of 2000 rad is delivered at a point 2-5 mm from the axis of the wire, opposite its mid-point. Thirty cases have been treated by this method with a follow-up period of two years or longer; five recurrences were found at six months, and a further one by two years. No complications were observed.

Keloid Treatment In General

No single therapeutic modality is best for all keloids. The location, size, and depth of the lesion; the age of the patient; and the past response to treatment determine the type of therapy used. Prevention is key, but therapeutic treatment of keloids includes the following:

• Occlusive dressings
• Compression therapy
• Intralesional corticosteroid injections
• Cryosurgery
• Excision
• Radiation therapy
• Laser therapy
• Interferon therapy
• Imiquimod 5% cream
• Other promising but lesser-known therapies directed at collagensynthesis

It is suggested that this represents a rather lower recurrence rate than has been achieved by other methods, and that the dose to the tissue surrounding the scar is less than that which would be the case with conventional superficial radiotherapy - an important consideration in the treatment of young patients, with benign conditions, by irradiation.

Surgery

If the keloid scar is not responsive to  nonsurgical management options, surgery may be performed. One type of surgery directly removes the scar formation with an incision, and stitchesare placed to help close the wound. Sometimes, skin grafts are used to helpclose the wound. This involves replacing  or attaching skin to an area that is  missing skin. Skin grafts are performed by taking a piece of healthy skin from another area of the body (called the donor site) and attaching it to the needed area. Another option is laser surgery. Scars may be treated with a variety of different lasers, depending on the underlying cause of the scar. Lasers may be used to smooth a scar, remove the abnormal color of a scar, or flatten a scar. Most laser therapy for scars is done in conjunction with other treatments, including injections of steroids, use of special dressings, and the use of bandages. Multiple treatments may be required, regardless of the initial type of therapy.