Keloid Scar Treatment with Post-Excision Radiation in Knoxville, TN
Had a keloid removed only to watch it grow back? Post-excision radiation therapy is used to lower the chance that the scar returns.
✓ Medicare & major plans accepted ✓ FDA-Cleared Therapy ✓ 15-Minute Visits
4.7 stars from 273 patients Physician-Reviewed
See If You're a Candidate
Same business day callbacks Mon–Fri. No referral required.
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A phone or in-person consult with our physician. We'll listen, walk you through whether this is a fit, and verify your insurance before treatment. Easy to start. No referral. No runaround.
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What Are Keloid Scars?
Keloids are raised, thickened scars that extend beyond the boundaries of the original wound. Unlike normal scars, keloids result from an overproduction of collagen during the healing process. They can develop after surgical incisions, burns, piercings, acne, or even minor skin injuries. Keloids are often painful, itchy, and cosmetically distressing, and they disproportionately affect certain skin types.
The challenge with keloids is their extremely high recurrence rate. Surgical excision alone results in recurrence rates of 50 to 80 percent or higher. Steroid injections, silicone sheeting, and pressure therapy may provide some benefit but frequently fail to prevent regrowth. This cycle of removal and recurrence is frustrating and demoralizing for patients.
How Post-Excision Radiation Prevents Keloid Recurrence
Radiation therapy delivered within 24 to 72 hours after keloid excision is one of the most effective strategies to prevent recurrence. The radiation targets the fibroblasts in the wound bed that would otherwise produce the excessive collagen responsible for keloid formation.
Published studies demonstrate that combining surgical excision with post-operative radiation reduces recurrence rates to approximately 10 to 20 percent — a dramatic improvement over surgery alone. The treatment is delivered in a small number of sessions, typically beginning within one to three days after excision, and each session takes only minutes.
Who Is a Candidate?
- You have had one or more keloids excised that grew back
- Steroid injections have not adequately controlled your keloids
- You have keloids in visible or functionally limiting areas
- You are planning keloid excision and want to maximize your chance of a lasting result
Coordination with your surgeon is straightforward. We work with your excising physician to ensure radiation is initiated within the optimal post-surgical window.
What to Expect at Heelex
Following your keloid excision, you come to our Knoxville, TN clinic for radiation treatments. The procedure is painless and noninvasive, delivered directly to the excision site. Each session lasts only a few minutes. Most patients require three to four sessions over the course of several days. There is no additional downtime beyond what your surgery already requires.
Our team provides clear guidance on timing and coordinates with your surgeon to ensure seamless care.
Working With Your Care Team
Your plastic surgeon or dermatologist knows your history and your options better than anyone. We don't replace them, and we wouldn't want to. We're a resource for them — for patients who are prone to keloids and want to lower the chance one returns after surgical removal. You stay in their care: we treat only what's referred, keep your doctors informed, and refer you back to them. We're not here to take anyone's patients.
Scientific references
Mankowski P, Kanevsky J, Tomlinson J, Dyachenko A, Luc M. (2017). Optimizing radiotherapy for keloids: a meta-analysis systematic review. Annals of Plastic Surgery.
Open on PubMedHeyd R, Tselis N, Ackermann H, Roeddiger SJ, Zamboglou N. (2014). Adjuvant high-dose-rate brachytherapy for keloid recurrence. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
Open on PubMed
Frequently Asked Questions: Keloids & LDRT
Is radiation therapy safe for keloid scars? +
Yes. The dose is roughly 10 to 25 times lower than the dose used to treat cancer and is targeted to only the treated scar site. Decades of use have not shown an increased cancer risk at these low doses, and side effects are rare — occasionally mild, temporary skin changes.
Does radiation therapy prevent keloids from coming back after removal? +
That is exactly what it is used for. Keloids often return after being cut out, so a short course of low-dose radiation therapy is given to the fresh site shortly after surgical removal to lower the chance the scar rebuilds into another keloid. Published series report substantially lower recurrence when excision is combined with post-operative radiation than with excision alone. Individual results vary.
Can radiation therapy remove a keloid I already have? +
No — radiation therapy does not remove or dissolve an existing keloid. It is used after a keloid is surgically removed, to help prevent it from returning. The plan is made before the excision so the two steps are coordinated.
Do I need a referral? +
No. You can call us directly. If you have an orthopedic surgeon, primary care physician, or rheumatologist, we coordinate with them.
Does it hurt? +
No. You feel nothing during treatment. No needle, no injection, no anesthesia.
Are there side effects? +
Rare. Some patients notice mild, temporary skin redness. No systemic side effects.
Will it cause cancer? +
The dose used for benign conditions is 10 to 25 times lower than the dose used to treat cancer. Long-term studies in Germany — where LDRT has been used for decades — have not shown an increased cancer risk at these low doses. We do not treat patients under 40 except in specific circumstances.
How quickly will I feel better? +
Most patients begin noticing relief between 6 and 12 weeks after their final session. About 70% report meaningful improvement.
How long does relief last? +
Typically 12 to 24 months. A second course can be given if symptoms return.
What if it doesn't work for me? +
Most patients respond well — and if your consultation shows you're not a strong candidate, we'll tell you up front, before you've spent a dime. LDRT also never closes any doors: every other option, including surgery, stays open to you.
Is it covered by insurance? +
Most major insurance is accepted, including Medicare and major commercial plans. Our office handles all insurance pre-authorization.
How many sessions will I need? +
Most benign musculoskeletal conditions require 6 to 8 weekday sessions, scheduled on consecutive business days so you complete a full course in under two weeks. Each session takes about 15 minutes. Some skin and fibrotic conditions follow different protocols — your consultation will clarify what fits your situation.
Is Low-Dose Radiation Therapy safe?
The dose used for benign conditions is a small fraction of cancer-treatment radiation — roughly 10–25× lower — delivered in a few short sessions. Low-dose radiation therapy for benign disease has decades of clinical use, and side effects are uncommon and typically mild.
Every treatment plan is prepared by a board-certified medical physicist and reviewed by a licensed physician. Whether it's the right option for you — and any personal considerations — is decided together during your consultation.