Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Some types of skin cancer include melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. The treatment for skin cancer mainly involves surgical removal through Mohs surgery or traditional surgical techniques.
While surgery is effective in the treatment of skin cancer, it leaves open wounds. If the wounds are left to heal without reconstructive surgery, they may not heal optimally.
Here are some benefits and risks of reconstructive surgery after skin cancer treatment.
What Are the Benefits of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery After Skin Cancer Treatment?
Once the surgery to remove skin cancer has been performed, patients may require reconstructive surgery.
Some of the benefits associated with reconstructive plastic surgery after skin cancer treatment include:
Optimizes the Healing Process
As mentioned above, skin cancer treatment leaves open wounds. Unfortunately, if the wounds are stitched with a lot of tension or left to heal on their own, they may end up healing poorly.
For instance, the surgical site can take longer to heal and even lose sensation after healing. This can negatively affect the functioning of the affected area.
On the other hand, the healing process can be optimized by getting reconstructive plastic surgery from a qualified plastic surgeon. Reconstructive surgery can also ensure that the wounds heal properly and the functioning of affected areas is not lost or reduced once the wounds have healed.
Improves Appearance
The objective of the doctors who treat skin cancer is to remove cancer safely. Therefore, they do not pay much attention to how the surgical area will look after healing.
If the wounds from the cancer treatment are left to heal without reconstructive surgery, you might be left with unsightly scars that can negatively affect your overall appearance and consequently hurt your self-esteem.
The good news is that by working with a reconstructive plastic surgeon after skin cancer treatment, you can effectively reduce scarring and ensure that you will continue looking good and feeling great about yourself even after undergoing skin cancer treatment.
What Are the Risks of Reconstruction Surgery After Skin Cancer Treatment?
Like any other surgery, reconstructive plastic surgery after skin cancer treatment is not without risks. Some of the risks associated with this kind of plastic surgery include:
- A patient may get a blood clot
- Some patients might suffer from side effects of anesthesia
- The surgical site might get infected
- The surgical area might experience excessive bleeding, pain, swelling, and bruising
By working closely with your plastic surgeon, most of these risks are easy to manage.
Although the treatment of skin cancer through surgical removal is highly effective, it leaves behind wounds that can become problematic if not subjected to reconstructive surgery.
Therefore, reconstructive surgery is an important part of skin cancer treatment. As such, if you are looking for a facility that offers skin cancer removal, it is wise for you to pick one that also includes reconstructive surgery as a part of their treatment.
