I had Mohs surgery on 8/14 to remove a basal cell cancer from my forehead. The wound is now open and covered and I'm weighing my options for repair. It's about the size of a silver dollar. It does seem to be closing/shrinking from all sides, albeit ever so slowly.What are the advantages/disadvantages of waiting for it to continue to close before doing a skin graft or skin flap? Thanks!
Answer: Repairing Mohs Surgical Wounds
Although the wound will eventually heal itself, the scar will be worse and why would anyone want to walk around with a "hole in their head" requiring daily wound care when it can be closed immediately?? Closure of a Mohs defect depends on the location, size and shape of the wound.. If it is small it closed primarily. If too large for that (e.g the size for example the size of a silver dollar as in your case then a flap, that is attached nearby is rotated in to fill the defect, or occasionally a skin graft can be used. Often times if you have redundant skin the final scar can be placed in a normal crease line in the forehead. See a board certified plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon that has a special interest in Mohs closures.
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Answer: Repairing Mohs Surgical Wounds
Although the wound will eventually heal itself, the scar will be worse and why would anyone want to walk around with a "hole in their head" requiring daily wound care when it can be closed immediately?? Closure of a Mohs defect depends on the location, size and shape of the wound.. If it is small it closed primarily. If too large for that (e.g the size for example the size of a silver dollar as in your case then a flap, that is attached nearby is rotated in to fill the defect, or occasionally a skin graft can be used. Often times if you have redundant skin the final scar can be placed in a normal crease line in the forehead. See a board certified plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon that has a special interest in Mohs closures.
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December 1, 2010
Answer: Reconstructive surgery after Mohs micrographic surgery Ideally, reconstructive surgery repair should take place immediately after eradiation of tumor with Mohs micrographic surgery. If you choose to have a plastic surgeon to do the repair, reconstruction should take place that afternoon or the very next morning to minimize risk of infection. Certain wounds along concavity such as inside of the ears may be amenable to self-granulation without further repair assuming one is consistent with emollient application after Mohs surgery.
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December 1, 2010
Answer: Reconstructive surgery after Mohs micrographic surgery Ideally, reconstructive surgery repair should take place immediately after eradiation of tumor with Mohs micrographic surgery. If you choose to have a plastic surgeon to do the repair, reconstruction should take place that afternoon or the very next morning to minimize risk of infection. Certain wounds along concavity such as inside of the ears may be amenable to self-granulation without further repair assuming one is consistent with emollient application after Mohs surgery.
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September 8, 2009
Answer: Forehead scars are better after reconstruction Most wounds of the body (including Moh's) will heal by themselves--referred to as healing by "secondary intention". The problems with this is that it may take a long time to close completely and usually, but not always, the scar is worse than if a well-executed surgical closure was performed. The forehead usually yields very good scars with reconstruction. The surgeon has to plan the operation so that the eyebrows are not asymmetric and the end of the reconstruction and that the scars are properly placed. This can often be done with local anesthesia if cost is an issue. Sutures are out in about a week. The scars fade away over a several months. I would have opted for closure if I were you, presuming my appreciation of your wound is accurate based on the description.
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September 8, 2009
Answer: Forehead scars are better after reconstruction Most wounds of the body (including Moh's) will heal by themselves--referred to as healing by "secondary intention". The problems with this is that it may take a long time to close completely and usually, but not always, the scar is worse than if a well-executed surgical closure was performed. The forehead usually yields very good scars with reconstruction. The surgeon has to plan the operation so that the eyebrows are not asymmetric and the end of the reconstruction and that the scars are properly placed. This can often be done with local anesthesia if cost is an issue. Sutures are out in about a week. The scars fade away over a several months. I would have opted for closure if I were you, presuming my appreciation of your wound is accurate based on the description.
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November 5, 2015
Answer: Mohs reconstruction It is best to reconstruct the area of the defect soon after Mohs procedure to prevent infection and provide the best aesthetic outcome. This is done best using local flaps, although at times skin grafts can be used. Occasionally, if the defect is very deep, it can be left to granulate partially, before reconstruction.
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November 5, 2015
Answer: Mohs reconstruction It is best to reconstruct the area of the defect soon after Mohs procedure to prevent infection and provide the best aesthetic outcome. This is done best using local flaps, although at times skin grafts can be used. Occasionally, if the defect is very deep, it can be left to granulate partially, before reconstruction.
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Answer: How to Repair Mohs Surgery Wound? Thank you for your question. Good news, there are multiple options available to close your wound. I recommend that you make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your surgical options.
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Answer: How to Repair Mohs Surgery Wound? Thank you for your question. Good news, there are multiple options available to close your wound. I recommend that you make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your surgical options.
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