Sabatino Ciatti, MD

I had my BCC biopsied 4 years ago. The story behind my initial Moh's appointment is too long to get in to. I foolishly procrastinated out of fear of the surgery & because it's a benign skin cancer. I have psoriatic arthritis & in order to begin the more aggressive drugs, I was told the BCC had to go. My surgeon was fantastic, he got it all in 2 passes & took the skin for the graft from in front of my ear because I get psoriasis behind my ear. I was very anxious & had an anxiety attack when he was prepping to graft & close up, and he was very comforting & understanding. I'm a week post-op & am packing it with neosporin daily & keeping it covered. It looked very small on the surface but what it had grown to underneath while I procrastinated was very eye-opening to me. The size of the wound is a little smaller than the diameter of a nickel. I understand now why this had to go. It looks gross right now but it's healing. It's a little itchy, I've gotten sudden tiny stinging sensations a few times & am pleased because that tells me everything is healing & the nerves are in good shape. In terms of fear & anxiety, this was a pretty bad experience for me, but if throughout my life it's the worst, then I'm very fortunate. Updated on 1 Sep 2015: Updated on 10 Sep 2015: Today is 3 weeks post-op & things are looking good! Still keeping the wound wet. I had a small outbreak of psoriasis around my nose, which sometimes happens with skin trauma when you have PsA. My left eye was super itchy (think conjunctivitis-itchy) for a few days as well. Can barely see where the graft was taken from in front of my ear at this point. I can get it wet in the shower now, I can't let soaps get in it, but I gently blot it with wet gauze after showering & applying new goop. I'm using Aquaphor now & can leave it uncovered. Still don't have a lot of feeling when applying ointment with a q-tip, but that will probably take a few more months. Updated on 16 Sep 2015: Tomorrow is four weeks since my surgery & I no longer need to keep ointment on the wound & can now resume my normal bedazzling! I'm pretty hopeful that this will continue to heal well & my next follow up with the surgeon is in December. I'm using some cortisone for a few days to address the psoriasis that popped up around the area. In another week or so, I can begin some gentle circular massage to further encourage blood flow & break down any thickened scar tissue on my nose & my ear where the graft was taken from (used to be a massage therapist). Updated on 22 Sep 2016: It's been over a year now since my BCC was removed. I'm really happy with the result! You can't really tell I had such a big wound. I don't have as sensitive a feeling as I do in the same spot on the other unaffected side, but it's no bother at all. The area in front of my ear where the graft was taken has no scar whatsoever. All in all, I'm extremely happy with the outcome.

Had it done over a month ago under eyes. I'm 44 and I take after my father's side of the family with the extremely tired looking eyes. I called them my bags but hollows probably described as well. People asked me if I wasn't sleeping or if I was ill or had allergies all the time. Tried every home remedy for years (ice and green tea bags, allergy pills, creams including prep H. The Procedure: I did not bruise at all, only tiny marks where needle went in. It was performed by a dermatologist. He almost scared me out of it, telling me the possibilities included alot of bruising and swelling, would I be prepared to return to work like this...he was very honest and upfront and spent alot of time telling me all the cons and made sure I was prepared. Used one syringe but some resty was left. My left eye needed more as he indicated this was not uncommon based on what side I sleep on. I loved the results at once and once again, Doc warned me next time I might not be as lucky with my lack of bruising. I think I did swell but the swelling was so much more attractive than the wells I was used to so it really was not an issue. Pain was minimal, a little bit later on I felt tenderness but I was so pleased I did not care much. He said it could last 9 months. It was very emotional waking up the first few mornings and looking in the mirror at a bagless reflection. Very dramatic difference for me, I look much younger, healthy and rested. I hope it lasts as long as 9 months but I will be back for more when that time comes