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Skin Cancer Reconstructive Surgery FAQ
I Will Need Skin Cancer Reconstruction On My Face, Breast, Or Another Sensitive Area. Is Dr. Streitmann Experienced With Such Cases?
Yes. Dr. Streitmann is a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive training and years of experience in plastic surgery for people recovering from skin cancer. He has helped many patients regain their appearances after extensive skin cancer removal surgery. Performing reconstructive plastic surgery on regions with delicate skin like the face, neck and breast is more complex than somewhere like the back or upper arm, but Dr. Streitmann has extensive experience doing just that.
What Should I Expect From Reconstructive Surgery?
It depends on the area of treatment and what kind of procedure will be performed. Reconstruction may be done all at once, or in stages, depending on your particular situation. A skin graft may be necessary if a lot of tissue is taken away during skin cancer removal. Local anesthesia is absolutely going to be used so that you don’t have to experience the physical pain and discomfort that goes along with surgery. General anesthesia may be used, when necessary, if you aren’t very responsive to local anesthesia or if the procedure is expected to be very painful.
Will The Procedure Leave A Scar?
In most cases, yes. Skin cancer removal involves cutting away a fairly large region of skin. While a tumor the size of a pea sounds small, that’s pretty large compared to a nick that wouldn’t leave a scar and much, much larger than a skin cell. That being said, Dr. Streitmann understands how important your appearance is – not just to yourself, but for your social and professional life. He will do absolutely everything that he can to minimize scarring and will provide you with post-op instructions to help prevent scarring after the procedure.
You can also take measures to minimize scarring, so try to:
- Avoid sun exposure to the wound as much as possible
- Keep the wound clean
- Follow Dr. Streitmann’s instructions for wound care
- Apply sunscreen to the wound site once it’s healed
Is A Skin Graft Always Needed?
Not necessarily. If a lot of affected skin was removed, it may be necessary to perform a skin graft. Pieces of skin from one part of your body that is less visible will be collected and then moved to the area where the surgery was performed, creating a “base” of skin to work with. It will significantly reduce scarring and speed up the healing process.
Is Reconstructive Surgery A Cosmetic Procedure Or Is It Medically Necessary?
That depends on the extent and location of the surgery. In many cases, reconstruction is a necessity to ensure proper healing. Our team will review how much plastic surgery must be performed and share what treatments are considered cosmetic, or optional, based on what your insurance will provide for. Some insurance companies do, in fact, cover plastic surgery, especially in the case of reconstructive surgery.
Get the results you’ve always desired
Michael J. Streitmann, M.D., a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon , offers a wide range of cosmetic procedures. To learn more, give us a call at 713-667-4600 or contact us.