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Plastic Surgery Yields

the Best Result after South Florida PBS

Mohs Surgery proudly welcomes

Florida Blue as a sponsor
By Carlos Wolf, M.D.
of the Health Channel!
Dear Dr. Wolf,

My dermatologist diagnosed me with basal cell can-
cer near my nose. I was told I needed Mohs surgery and
that a plastic surgeon should close my defect. Is it ever
okay to simply let the incision close by itself?

The simple answer is, yes, it can close by itself. Howev-
er, it will heal faster and close better if it is properly closed,
and a plastic surgeon can give you the best result.
During Mohs surgery, a dermatologist removes the
cancer cells microscopically. This procedure enables the
patient to have immediate reconstruction without fear of
leaving any tumor cells. Many years ago before reconstruc-
tive techniques were available, many patients were advised
to let the primary excision heal over a period of time. This
technique would often give a satisfactory cosmetic result,
but it would take weeks and maybe months to completely
heal. Today, dermatologists, facial plastic surgeons and plas-
tic surgeons work together to offer the patient a better
experience.
In many cases, the defect that is left behind after Mohs
surgery is much bigger than the patient or the doctor
predicted. The defect is dictated by the extent of the mi-
croscopic tumor margins. Oftentimes, the reconstruction
performed by the plastic surgeon entails simply mobilizing
skin flaps and closing them. The defect may be so large
that free flaps or larger facial flaps are needed to close the
incision. When a very experienced facial plastic surgeon
or plastic surgeon teams up with a dermatologist skilled
in Mohs surgery, most defects can be closed with great
results.
The bottom line, the most important step prior to
having a Mohs surgery, especially when the lesion is locat-
ed on your face, is to plan for immediate reconstruction. .

Dr. Carlos Wolf is a board-certified plastic
surgeon. He is a partner in Miami Plastic
Surgery and Clinical Assistant Professor in
the Department of Surgery at FIU Herbert
Wertheim School of Medicine.

For more information, email cwolf@miami-
plasticsurgery.com, call 305-595-2969, visit
www.miamiplasticsurgery.com or follow
Dr. Wolf on Instagram.
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