Wide excision and flap closure for melanoma

*Treatment results may vary
*The member who uploaded this photo has read and agreed to the RealSelf Photo Rules
*Treatment results may vary
*The member who uploaded this photo has read and agreed to the RealSelf Photo Rules
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.
Tags: cancer , female , side view