Scarring after scalp surgery

[Rachel4]

My husband had scalp surgery about a year ago to remove nevus sebaceous. The dermatologist said he could remove it and a straight line scar would result with hair on both sides. The first surgery resulted in ulcers that had to be cut out, but when the ulcers were cut out the skin couldn't be pulled tight enough to entirely stitch together so there was an open spot in the center of the wound that scarred and had to be removed. Since then my husband has had like 6 other surgeries because the skin will seam together but will then stretch out creating alot of scar tissue and the dermatologist keeps cutting out the scar tissue. He's tried alternate stitching and incision techniques and even dermal punches on part of it. We just keep getting scar tissue.

At this point we can't go anywhere else to get this fixed because it would just be a cosmetic surgery so insurance wouldn't cover it. Insurance covered the first one because nevus sebaceous is potentially cancerous (his was benign). And the dermatologist hasn't been charging us for the fixes because he's very frustrated that it hasn't turned out right.

Is there anything we can do to change the bodies chemistry (supplement or topical cream on the wound) to keep the skin from stretching and making a big scar?  

Any help would be appreciated. The surgeries are quite painful for a few days and my husband is ready to have this bald scar gone!

[Archibald S Miller III, MD,FACS]

There are no new prescription medicines of which I am aware. Mederma is an onion skin derivative and an herbal. It is not supposed to help hair growth.It claims to assist smooth and painless scar formation.

                         arch s miller ms md facs

[Fuzzz]

I thought I heard there were new topical medications for scars, including one that encouraged hair growth on scars.  The first scar medication was Mederma, but I read about newer ones after that, and I don't know what brand names might be.  It is possible they are still undergoing testing and not yet available to the public, since I read a lot of medical journal articles for doctors because of the kind of work I used to do.  Does this sound familiar to anybody?  

[Archibald S Miller III, MD,FACS]

If the insurance paid for the first procedure, then it should be paying for problems also. That is routine policy. It would be best to have a reconstructive plastic surgeon see your husband. They could place a tissue expander under the scalp skin and stretch the scalp until it closes without tension. This is a common procedure done for cancer/trauma victims and could be dealt with by a surgeon familiar with the technique.

                                                 arch s miller ms md facs