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Mohs surgery and reconstruction: What timeline to expect?
Cancer | Last Active: 6 days ago | Replies (20)Comment receiving replies
Hello @keithl56 . I just had my elderly aunt to the surgeon for her Mohs procedure on her scalp on top of her head. It was quite superficial in the biopsy and we waited 3 months for an appointment for the surgery. It was removed in the first pass and instruction is to allow for granulation to heal this over the next 6-8 weeks. It is kept covered with antibiotic ointment and gauze and has been quite painless for her. With a 3 cm round area now open, there was no way to bring scalp edges together. At age 97, reconstructive surgery was not mentioned.
The scalp is a very vascular area so significant cautery was used to control bleeding. Granulation tissue is very vascular also so I am not concerned about blood supply for healing. Good luck to you.
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Update. I saw the Moh's surgeon last week and the reconstruction surgeon this week. While waiting for the surgeon on Monday I asked how far out they were scheduling surgeries (I am planning on heading to my Hilton Head house from Mid Aug to mid Nov) and she told me to figure on Aug-Sept (bummer). However, when the doctor came in and drew a roadmap on my head he said that the cancer could double in size in a few months and was checking my lymph nodes. He left and then the nurse took me to the scheduler. I was surprised when she said that she was trying to get my surgery scheduled for next week but couldn't get me in until 6/26.
Also surprising was he was talking about possibly having to do a skin graft and showed me on my side what he would use as a donor site, and that it wouldn't match the area around it.. He also told me not to discontinue blood thinners since he can handle the bleeding and didn't want to risk a heart attack or stroke, and also didn't want to use general anesthesia for the same reason. Kind of freaked me out. So it looks like local plus valium.
Anyone have any similar experience that can provide any input?
TIA Keith