chirurgoe micrographic skin cancer

Your doctor has recommended to remove your chirurgoe micrographic skin cancer. This page will attempt to explain the implications of this procedure and its risks and benefits.

What is the chirurgoie micrographic?
Named after the surgeon who developed the Mohs micrographic surgery (Mohs Frederick) is a specialized surgery that aims to remove some skin cancers. Your surgeon removes the visible portion of the tumor and then removes extra tissue that might contain cancer cells, this process is done layer by layer. The tissue is examined under a microscope while you are still in the center where the intervention takes place. If the tissue contains cancer cells, another layer of tissue is removed and in turn under the microscope. This process is repeated until towed cancer cells have been removed.

The reasons why your doctor has recommended chirurgoe Mohs micrographic are:
Your skin cancer has returned
the tumor that you have been removed, but cancer cells remain
you have cancer is in a region or as little healthy tissue should be removed (eg eye, nose, ears and lips).
the edges of the cancer you are ill-defined
you have cancer is aggressive.

Why should I micrographic surgery?

Other surgical procedures to remove skin tumors are based on the view with the naked eye surgeon to delineate its extent. This can lead to large wounds and scars and tumor recurrence if too little tissue is removed. Micrographic surgery maximizes the chance that your tumor is completely removed (excised) while minimizing the amount of normal tissue to be removed.

What he said during Mohs surgery?
There are different stages:
First, the doctor will inject local anesthetic. This helps to numb the treatment area so that you do ressentier no pain during the procedure. This injection do not fall asleep, and you will be awake. If you are particularly anxious, a mild sedative can be administered in addition. Please discuss with your doctor. Of anesthetic drops can also be used if the tumor is near the eye.
After local anesthesia works, the visible (clinically evident or part) of the tumor is removed along with a small margin of normal tissue. While the sample is sent to the laboratory or the doctor may examine more closely the tissue for cancer cells. This takes between 40 and 60 minutes, so a temporary dressing is applied topically and you rolled over to the waiting room (remember to take things to kill time: books ...).
If cancer cells are present in the tissue examined, you will be reminded in the operating room and more tissue is removed for examination under a microscope. This process will be repeated as many times as the cancer cells are present.
The duration of the effect of local anesthesia is two hours and a supplement of anesthetic can be added. Due to the nature of this technique, it is not possible to determine the duration of the surgery.

What happens after you have removed all the affected tissue?
Once all the tumor cells were removed, there are different options to repair the wound created. These options will be discussed with you in more detail with the doctor doing the procedure.
The wound
can be closed by those who have micrographic surgery immediately after the intervention
can be covered with a bandage and closed by a plastic surgeon
may not be closed to heal itself.

What are the risks?
Your doctor will explain the potential risks to this kind of surgery, but possible complications include:
bleeding in the operated area
pain: The effect of local anesthesia should last until you return home. Analgesics not cheap aspirin (pex paracetamol) should relieve the pain.
damage to a nerve. Although your surgeon will take more care to avoid this, the nerves may occasionally be damaged during surgery, leading to numbness. This effect is usually temporary.
infection of the operated area. It is important to follow the instructions on wound care to minimize the risk.
scar formation. You will have a scar after surgery. Doctors use closing techniques to minimize their size. The size and color of the scar usually fade with time.

What should I do when I got home?
Before leaving the place of surgery, make sure you have obtained all the information of how to take care of the wound at home. You should probably sit for 48 hours after surgery. So if you work, you should take time off during at least two days after surgery.

Next Post opéraoire
A follow-up appointment will be given after surgery. This meeting usually takes place a week later to verify that the skin heals well and to remove any stitches. Usually, an appointment is given three months later. Although éveidemment, each case is unique and does not always follow this diagram.