my 10 year old daughter had major surgery on her lower leg, what is the best treatment to prevent scaring?
We have not gotten to the point of scar-free surgery yet. What can be done is to minimize scarring and get the incision to heal as best as possible. There are a ton of products that claim to minimize scarring, most of which are not nearly as good as they claim. One simple, effective, and relatively cheap option is application of silicone sheets to the scar once the wound has healed and the skin has completely closed over.
Unfortunately the only thing that can be done to minimize scars is the closure itself. Since that has already been done, the only thing that remains is to watch the area and see what happens over time with healing. If the scar begins to enlarge and thickened, it can be injected. Other than that, U simply need to wait until the scar is totally mature and then decide if it needs revision. It is mature when the scar no longer has any pinkness. This is usually after about a year, and occasionally significantly longer. The good thing is that during this time the body is remodeling the scar and it occasionally will almost disappear over time. I hope for the best for her. Otherwise, see an experienced plastic surgeon if the scar begins to become thick and red or, once it has totally lost all evidence of red if it is unacceptable at that time.