Yesterday I spent the day in the Duke Cutanous Oncology Center for Mohs surgery.
For those unfamilar with this surgery, it is surgery for skin cancer, other than melanoma, that is done in stages.
Stage one is where all the visible cancer is removed and the patient goes back to the waiting room (usually 45 minutes to an hour) while the speciman is prepared and examined under the microscope. It is computer mapped and the next stage is planned to take out only cancer and no good tissue.
When this is done, the patient (in this case me) is called back in and additional tissue is removed. And the process is once more repeated.
Sometimes, but not very often, it is done in one stage but it can go on up to ten.
I had to go back in three times before I was pronounced clear.
At that point you wait in the waiting room until your turn comes for your consultation over the options for repair and reconstruction. It can be anywhere from just letting it heal on it's own or simple stiching, to skin grafts, flaps, or resections.
At this time is when you get to study your face in a hand held mirror while the surgeon draws in purple to show the possibilites.
He said mine was difficult and my options were limited because of the location. It involved both the red part of my lip and the skin above it. For me he ended up making some incisions and re-aligning the edges. It is like a cross with the horizonal incision following my right lip line. I think it is rather remarkable the way it came together.
The cancer was squamous cell but the good news is that it seems they got it all. I meet with the surgeon again next Tuesday and then we will discuss if anything else needs to be done. The cancer developed in sun damaged skin of which I have plenty.
I did not come off coumadin and other than bleeding during the procedure, I have not had a problem with bleeding or even excessive bruising.
For those unfamilar with this surgery, it is surgery for skin cancer, other than melanoma, that is done in stages.
Stage one is where all the visible cancer is removed and the patient goes back to the waiting room (usually 45 minutes to an hour) while the speciman is prepared and examined under the microscope. It is computer mapped and the next stage is planned to take out only cancer and no good tissue.
When this is done, the patient (in this case me) is called back in and additional tissue is removed. And the process is once more repeated.
Sometimes, but not very often, it is done in one stage but it can go on up to ten.
I had to go back in three times before I was pronounced clear.
At that point you wait in the waiting room until your turn comes for your consultation over the options for repair and reconstruction. It can be anywhere from just letting it heal on it's own or simple stiching, to skin grafts, flaps, or resections.
At this time is when you get to study your face in a hand held mirror while the surgeon draws in purple to show the possibilites.
He said mine was difficult and my options were limited because of the location. It involved both the red part of my lip and the skin above it. For me he ended up making some incisions and re-aligning the edges. It is like a cross with the horizonal incision following my right lip line. I think it is rather remarkable the way it came together.
The cancer was squamous cell but the good news is that it seems they got it all. I meet with the surgeon again next Tuesday and then we will discuss if anything else needs to be done. The cancer developed in sun damaged skin of which I have plenty.
I did not come off coumadin and other than bleeding during the procedure, I have not had a problem with bleeding or even excessive bruising.
