Reconstruction
Post-Mohs Surgery
Once your skin cancer has been successfully treated, you may want to consider reconstruction of the Mohs Surgical area. Your surgeon has been trained in the specialized reconstruction of the wound. Surgeons who have trained at the American College of Mohs Surgery are required to successfully complete an extensive fellowship and one full year of training and hands-on experience.
Options for Reconstruction
Once you are cancer free and have decided to proceed with reconstruction, your Mohs surgeon will review your options with you. Your doctor may want to do the reconstruction immediately after your Mohs surgery or wait a little while.
Depending on the size of your tumor, the depth of its roots and where it is located, you will choose one of the following options:
- Small wounds may be allowed to heal by themselves
- Slightly larger wounds may be closed with stitches
- Larger or more complicated wounds may require a skin graft or a flap, which uses skin next to the wound
- Rarely, you may be referred to another reconstructive surgical specialist
Post-Operative Management
Your post-surgery recovery will be monitored by your Mohs surgeon. The surgeon will also be watching for any possible cancer recurrence or new lesions. Two out of five patients with skin cancer will develop another spot within five years, monitoring and early detections is critically important.