After the surgery, I was not immediately told about scar massage. It wasn't until I started physical therapy for the neck dissection shoulder issues that this very simple technique was shown to me. At Monday's follow up visit with the plastic surgeon over the tongue reconstruction skin grafts, the resident went out of her way to stress the importance of scar massage on my wrist flap area, saying that otherwise I may need steroid treatments. For those who haven't been told about it, of course ask your doctor before jumping in but here's most of the printed handout I got

[quote]Scars cause tissue adhesion between the tissues and the muscles beneath them. To perform scar massage, gently rub your fingers gently over the scar in a circular motion. You may also rub back and forth across the scar, You should check periodically for ares on the sacr which do not move easily and concentrate on those areas. Pressure should be gentle and should not cause pain. You can massage several times a day for a few minutes at a time. If there is readness, pain or oozing from the scar, you should stop and consult with your therapist or doctor, The scar should be healed before beginning massage[/quote]