Skin Excisions And Scar Revisions

Cosmetically sensitive areas such as the face are one of the areas where plastic surgeons excel.

First, there are vital nerves very close to the surface of the skin that could be injured, if a less experienced physician has to do a wide excision of a cancer. Secondly, plastic surgeons are well versed in the use of z-plasties, a technique where a scar can be moved, concealed and heal with a lot less scarring.

Here is a link to a site, which gives more details and shows pictures before and after skin lesion excisions (use the return key in the left upper corner of your screen to return to this page). Regarding the removal of keloid scars and other unsightly scars through plastic surgery, here is a link to show pictures before and after scar revision (use the return key in the left upper corner of your screen to return to this page).

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Disclaimer:

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

References:

1. Habif: Clinical Dermatology, 3rd ed.,1996, Mosby-Year Book, Inc.

2. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 117.

3. Cotran: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease, 6th ed.,1999, W. B. Saunders Company

4. Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed., 2001, Mosby, Inc.

5. Rakel: Conn's Current Therapy 2001, 53rd ed., 2001, W. B. Saunders Company

6. Goroll: Primary Care Medicine, 4th ed., 2000, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

7. Richard J. Lewis, M.D. at the 42nd Annual St. Paul's Hosp. CME Conf., Nov.1996, Vancouver/BC

8. Jerry Shapiro, Prof. Dermatol., UBC, at 45th Annual St. Paul's Hosp. CME Conf., Nov.1999, Vancouver/BC

9. D Seager Int J Cosmet Surg Vol 6, No. 1, 1998: 27-31.

10. Townsend: Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, 16th ed.,2000, W. B. Saunders Company

Last Modified: Jan. 26, 2008