The diagnosis of skin cancer can be devastating for any man or woman.  While the initial size of a skin cancer can be small, after undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery, patients often have large defects in very sensitive areas of the face.

If you have had Mohs micrographic surgery to remove skin cancer, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr. Amit Kochhar knows that your next priority is to reconstruct the defect to achieve the best possible cosmetic and functional outcome

Reconstructing a defect following skin cancer or lesion removal can be accomplished through a variety of techniques. Dr. Kochhar will evaluate each patient and discuss the individual options for reconstruction.

These may include:

• Local Skin Flap Techniques
• Cartilage Grafting
• Skin Grafts
• Bone Grafting
• Microvascular Reconstruction

If patients have experienced previous scarring related to their skin cancer treatments, Dr. Kochhar will evaluate your skin and offer several options for scar revision that will optimize your recovery.  In some cases surgery may be indicated. However, non-surgical options such as laser skin resurfacing may also be employed to achieve excellent results.

Following surgery, Dr. Kochhar will see the patient in clinic to check all incisions, and go over all wound care measures. Dependent on the approach taken, the patient may experience tightness and numbness of the operated area. Swelling is expected and the patient must continue with cool compresses and keep the head elevated. If sutures are used on the outside they are removed on day 7 following the surgery. Patients usually have minimal downtime of 1-2 weeks before returning to work, and we ask those patients traveling from out of town to stay for routine checks during this time period.

CERVICOFACIAL 1 YEAR POST-OP