Surgery After Skin Cancer

Surgery After Skin Cancer
Are You A Good Candidate
Meeting With The Doctor
How The Procedure Is Performed
Questions You May Have

Surgery After Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. While skin cancers can be found on any part of the body, about 80 percent of skin cancers appear on the face, head, or neck, where they can be disfiguring as well as life threatening. For this reason, plastic or reconstructive surgery is often part of the treatment plan for skin cancer.

The doctors at The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery are skilled at diagnosing and treating skin cancer and other skin growths. Working in concert with your dermatologist or cancer specialist, they can surgically remove the cancer or growth in a manner that maintains function and offers the most pleasing final appearance.

If you have previously treated skin cancer, you may be left with less than pleasing cosmetic or functional results. These results can range from a small but unsightly scar to permanent changes in facial structures such as your nose, ear, or lip. The doctors at The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery are experienced at reconstructive techniques - ranging from a simple scar revision to a complex tissue transfer - that can often repair damaged tissue, rebuild body parts, and restore most patients to acceptable appearance and function.

Are You A Good Candidate for Skin Cancer Surgery? There are many different surgical and non-surgical options for treating skin cancer. Working with the doctors at The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery, you can determine which treatment is best for you. The doctors are skilled both at removing skin cancer itself and at performing any reconstructive surgery needed to restore function or appearance to the area that contained the cancer.

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Meeting With The Doctor
Prior to your skin cancer surgery, you will meet at length with the doctors and staff at The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery to thoroughly discuss the options that are available to you. You will discuss how effective each option is in treating your particular type of skin cancer and the possible risks and side effects of each procedure. The functional and cosmetic results you can expect will also be discussed.

In addition, the doctor and staff will:
· Explain which type of anesthesia will be used, where the surgery will be performed, and if a hospital stay is required
· Outline in detail how your skin cancer surgery is performed and what you can expect before, during, and after the procedure
· Provide detailed cost, payment, and insurance information
· Answer all your questions

You will be asked to provide:
· Details about your medical history
· A list of all medications you currently take including over the counter medications such as aspirin, vitamins, and herbal supplements
· Information regarding your tobacco and alcohol consumption.

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How The Procedure Is Performed
Most skin cancers are removed surgically. If the cancer is small, the procedure can usually be done quickly and easily at one of the region's premiere accredited outpatient-based surgical facilities -- the Center for Ambulatory Surgery, Inc. (CASI) or the Washington Hospital Center. The surgery will most likely be performed using local anesthesia with sedation. You will be awake, but will be relaxed and will feel little or no discomfort. The procedure may be a simple excision, which usually leaves a thin, barely visible white scar. Or it may be a curettage and desiccation, in which the cancer is scraped out with an electric current to control bleeding and kill any remaining cancer cells. This type of procedure leaves a slightly, larger white scar.

If the cancer is large, surgery will be performed at an area hospital chosen by you and the doctor (link to About_Bio Drs.doc) during your initial consultation. The surgery will be performed using general anesthesia and its duration will depend on the size and location of the cancer as well as whether or not it has spread to any lymph nodes or other parts of the body. The details of your skin cancer surgery will be discussed in detail with you during your initial consultation with the doctor.

Depending on the type of technique used to treat your skin cancer, you may be left with less than pleasing cosmetic or functional results. These results can range from a small but unsightly scar to permanent changes in facial structures such as your nose, ear, or lip. The doctors at The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery are experienced at reconstructive techniques - ranging from a simple scar revision to a complex tissue transfer - that can often repair damaged tissue, rebuild body parts, and restore most patients to acceptable appearance and function.

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Questions You May Have
· Are there alternatives to skin cancer surgery?
Possible treatments for skin cancer include cryosurgery (freezing the cancer cells), radiation (using x-rays), topical chemotherapy (applying anti-cancer drugs to the skin), and Mohs surgery (a procedure in which the cancer cells are shaved off one layer at a time). All possible alternatives and courses of treatment will be discussed with you in detail during your initial consultation. Working as a team, you, your cancer specialist, and the doctors at The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery will determine the best strategy and treatment for dealing with your skin cancer.

· Will my insurance coverage pay for my skin cancer surgery?
Skin cancer surgery is generally covered by insurance. The staff at The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery will work with you to obtain pre-approval from your insurance company.

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