Removal of skin cancers does not have to result in unsightly obvious scars. At our practice, we understand how important your appearance is to you. That is why we have developed a cutting edge protocol to diagnose, remove and subsequently restore the tissue to its most natural appearance possible. Most non-pigmented (colorless) skin lesions are first diagnosed by taking a thin scraping, called a shave biopsy to determine the exact nature of the lesion. The shave biopsy typically leaves no scar, and if the biopsy is benign may be the only treatment needed.

 If the biopsy represents a basal cell cancer or a squamous cell cancer, a cosmeticaly pleasing surgical excision and immediate esthetic closure is the treatment most often rendered. Rather than freezing, burning or scraping out the skin cancer, which often is less esthetic, we surgically remove the skin cancer as a small excision, similar to what is done in cosmetic surgery. In simple cases we then close the skin to give the most esthetic closure possible by using plastic techniques, all at the same appointment. In more extensive skin cancers, we often employ an on site pathologist to read the tissue for a final clearance right after it is removed and before we close the skin to verify complete removal. At the same visit we can generally get a complete and cosmetically pleasing closure of the skin, and at a fraction of the time of Mohs type procedures. 

 

For pigmented lesions such as moles, a small incision is used to remove the suspect lesion and then a closure is performed immediately. If a melanoma or dysplastic (precancerous) mole is diagnosed, a wider excsion and cosmetic closure is often performed later for added safety, due to the more dangerous nature of the melanoma and dysplastic nevus.

 

In any event, the cure rates are among if not the best available, while the esthetic results are generally outstanding.  

 

 

 

           

 

Defect of upper lip due to extensive upper lip cancer following removal and after reconstruction.which was performed immediately after removal.