Post-surgical scar tissue forms after an operation in which the patient sustains tissue damage, usually as an intended or unavoidable result of the procedure. It can form on the outside of the skin or inside the body. For the most part, scar tissue is normal and harmless, but in some cases it can present medical difficulties depending on its location and size.
Scar tissue is thick connective tissue generated by the body over a healing wound. It gradually replaces the scab or blood clot that initially forms to stop the bleeding. Depending on the size of the wound, scar tissue can begin to form within a day and take weeks to fully grow. It sets over time in a process known as maturation.
Typically, scar tissue grows in a way where individual cells line up in one direction rather than the cross-hatched arrangement of normal tissue. This makes it thicker and less flexible. In superficial scars, this is mostly just a cosmetic concern. For internal scars, whether they occur as a result of a heart attack or after surgery, such thick, fibrous growths can be problematic.
There is nothing functionally different between ordinary scar tissue and that which develops after surgery. For superficial scars created by surgery or injury, a variety of treatments are available to decrease their size and visibility. Options include chemical peels, enzymes that dissolve scar tissue, and more surgery to remove scar tissue and purposefully work to minimize its recurrence.
Depending on its location, post-surgery scar tissue that builds up inside the body can cause stiffness and greatly decrease the flexibility of nearby joints and muscles. A common post-op recommendation for surgeries involving joints, muscles, or ligaments is to routinely move and flex the area as soon as the swelling subsides. Doing so helps ensure that the growth of thick bands of scar tissue is kept to a minimum.
Despite such efforts, it is not uncommon for scar tissue to tear weeks, months, or sometimes years after the operation. It is a minor but painful phenomenon that is often mistaken for a new, more serious injury or recurrence of the original problem. The tissue normally heals without adverse effects.
In some specific cases where surgery is performed on a sensitive area, the scar tissue that develops after surgery can cause biomechanical problems. A common example is impaction of the urinary tract after hernia repair. In such cases, follow-up surgery is required to remove scar tissue and restore functionality.