About the Procedure
The goal of skin cancer reconstruction is to close the surgical defect in a way that provides the best possible cosmetic outcome while ensuring that the tumour has been completely removed. Immediate reconstruction allows the patient to avoid living with an open wound.
Primary Closure
For smaller defects, the wound edges are brought together directly. Careful alignment of skin tension lines minimises visible scarring.
Skin Grafts
Thin slices of skin from another body area are used to cover larger defects. Full-thickness grafts provide better colour and texture matching for facial reconstruction.
Local and Regional Flaps
Adjacent tissue is moved to fill the defect while maintaining its blood supply. These flaps provide tissue that closely matches the surrounding skin in colour, texture, and thickness.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
For melanoma and some other skin cancers, sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed at the time of excision to check for cancer spread, helping guide further treatment decisions.
