Wide excision and flap closure for melanoma

Melanoma of the cheek prior to wide exicision and recontruction

Cheek one year following wide excision of melanoma and reconstruction

She required a wide excision to assure that all of the cancerous area was removed. I removed a chunk of skin the size of a... half dollar coin and then closed the defect with a "rhomboid flap" that allowed me to borrow some skin from the looser area around the jaw line and rotate it up into the defect. This allowed me to reconstruct the defect without changing the shape of her face or putting any tension on her earlob, the corner of her mouth and nose or her lower eyelid. She was very careful with scar care. more »