When a person contracts skin cancer, there are usually many options for removing it, including cryosurgery, laser surgery, chemical peeling, and surgical excision. Sometimes, surgical excision is the best or only option to remove the cancer from your skin. The surgical excision that is usually used to remove the cancer while leaving as much normal tissue as possible is known as “Mohs surgery.”1
Mohs surgery is a controlled surgery on the microscopic level that allows a physician to completely remove the skin cancer while making the smallest surgical mark.2 This is the usual surgical procedure that is performed on the face, where the preservation of normal tissue is of the utmost importance.3 As a result, the patient is expected to make a full recovery, while having the least amount of scarring possible. Still, even with Mohs surgery, there still can be a fair amount of scarring after the removal of a skin cancer lesion.
While a person certainly wants the cancer to be removed from his/her body, the surgical excision can leave such a scar that the person may feel emotional discomfort from it, especially if this scar is quite visible to others, such as on a person’s face. That is why many people will decide to have reconstructive surgery after undergoing surgery for skin cancer.
Facial Plastic Surgeons Can Help Restore Your Appearance 
If a person underwent a surgical excision for cancer on his or her face, it’s likely that he or she will want to seek the services of a facial plastic surgeon to help restore as much of his or her original appearance as possible, since the closing of the skin cancer wound will likely leave some scarring.
It is strongly recommended that a person who desires facial reconstructive surgery to seek the services of a facial plastic surgeon who has received the certification of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) and not of a general plastic surgeon. Usually, the Mohs surgeon who performed the surgical excision can recommend a reputable and experienced facial plastic surgeon to restore much of a person’s original appearance.
It is vital that the chosen facial plastic surgeon has plenty of experience in conducting facial plastic surgeries and thoroughly understands the structures of the face. This is because the best results from facial plastic surgery comes from having a consistent blood supply and using a donor site that provides close matches to the skin from the operated area.
Skin Grafts Are Not a Preferred Option
Some facial plastic surgeons utilize a flap technique that enables the physician to use a piece of tissue that is still attached to the body via a major artery or vein at its base.4 This tissue is then set onto the injured area that needs additional tissue, such as the face. Sometimes, muscle from the site where the tissue came from is also used if needed.
However, some facial plastic surgeons are not fond of using this technique to repair any scarring to the face. They mention that it’s often too difficult to match up the skin from the injured area in terms of coloring and texture. In addition, skin graphs are not good for those areas that need a large amount of skin to repair the operated area, as too much skin would be needed from the area where the skin is removed.
Other Factors to Consider Regarding Reconstructive Surgery
Most patients who wish to have reconstructive surgery want to have it done as quickly as possible after the surgical excision of the skin cancer so as to regain as much of their original appearance as early as possible. It is often possible for facial reconstructive surgeons to perform the facial reconstructive surgery on the same day as the surgical excision of the skin cancer; though in some cases, the facial reconstructive surgery may occur one week afterwards.1
The difficulty of the surgery will depend on how much of the original skin was removed in order to remove the skin cancer. The amount of skin that was removed will help to determine what procedure is used to restore as much of the patient’s original appearance as possible. The success of the surgery will also depend upon how much well-matched donor tissue is available to be used.1 Sometimes, more than one surgical procedure will be needed to restore as much of one’s original appearance as can be restored.5
It is also important to keep in mind the costs of having such a procedure completed. While most insurance plans will cover facial reconstructive surgery after an excision of skin cancer, it’s important to be sure that the surgeon’s billing office accepts your insurance plan. You should also ask your surgeon what the costs will be for the lab work, facility fees, anesthesia, and medications that are necessary to perform successful facial reconstructive surgery.1
Reconstructive Surgery Can Restore Much of Your Appearance After Skin Cancer
Undergoing a procedure such as surgical excision to remove skin cancer is often a very challenging ordeal for patients, especially if the excision causes scarring to areas of their bodies that are visible to others, especially people’s faces. Facial reconstructive surgery is a viable option to restore much of a person’s original appearance so that he or she can overcome the emotional shock that often comes from the surgical excision of a skin cancer lesion on one’s face.
References
1 Skin Cancer. (2011 August 17) Retrieved from MedlinePlus: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skincancer.html
2 About Mohs Surgery. (2011) Retrieved from: American College of Mohs Surgery: www.skincancermohssurgery.org/mohs-surgery/
3 Skin Cancer, op. cit.
4 Surgery for skin cancer – Flap surgery (n.d.) Retrieved from CancerHelp UK: cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/type/skin-cancer/treatment/surgery-for-skin-cancer
5 Skin Cancer and Your Plastic Surgeon. (2011). From The American Society of Plastic Surgeons: www.plasticsurgery.org/reconstructive-procedures/skin-cancer-and-your-plastic-surgeon.html
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