Scarred for Life - Westwood, NJ

Same with me ....I've seen other dermatologist since that said my surgery was unnecessary ....scar across my nose ...forever !

Be thankful you will never have to go through what I did. I also found out mohs for my superficial skin cancer was an absolute abuse of the procedure, but the sad part is I was lied to about how he would close it. I had many questions because I was seeing an honest mohs surgeon, but she went on maternity leave. I asked second mohs surgeon how he would close (she told me not to close) and he said I would just have a longer scar, drew on my face a relatively small circle, and said it was minor. The unethical surgeon I went to lied and said he would do nothing that involved lifting anything and it would be simple. I came out of surgery looking strange, but went on the assumption he didn't touch anything beyond the scar even though I looked like I had a one sided face lift or that I had been through a wind tunnel. Even when I asked he still said he didn't pull any skin up. I had to see plastic surgeons to confirm that he did a "horrible" job and basically disfigured half my face. I now have a wonky eye, surgical side has lower eye brow, ropey and wrinkled sagging skin, in addition to many other unsightly things. I am stared at all the time now because I look very strange with a normal youthful face on one side and a sagging mess of one on the other. To add insult to injury I received a phone call from my first dr that said she looked at my results and felt mine was so superficial that I could use aldara instead of getting mohs. In fact every surgeon I have seen asked why I didn't see a plastic surgeon after, and I told them because he said it would be so minor and he would NOT lift my cheek. Then they find out it was superficial and are stunned mohs was even recommended. You hear cancer and feel you must jump and you listen to anything they say. Think about our loved ones who had basal cell skin cancers when mohs didn't exist. This procedure is being abused (look up Florida case). I don't want to make a blanket statement because I still believe in honest surgeons, and actually know of a couple here on real self. Patients are told mohs is least disfiguring, but it was one cut that disfigured me for life even though my prior surgeon said it was no bigger than a small button on ones shirt on the surface. The second surgeon took out a slice the size of a quarter on the first cut and NEVER told me he would be using my cheek to close my wound. I look horrible as a result. I would do anything just to have a scar on my face and not this strange face I have to look at every day. Good luck to you.

This is so much more of a big deal than people think. I am researching and trying to decide what to do but mine has been on my nose for I really don't even know how long because I didn't know it was anything to be concerned with. I have seen a mohs dr and 2 plastic surgeons and have one more visit before making a final decision - this is a big deal for me and stressful being in the center of my nose

What is MOHS

I had the same type of experience, but with a few microdermabrasion treatments, and eventually lasar surgery. My scar is tolerable. I had 13 stitches in my cheek, I had no idea what I was getting into. Bless you and find another Dr. That explains, there are treatments for scarring. You still have a long way to go. It may heal better than you think. Time will tell.