After Surgery Experience

I have posted several times asking about what to expect after mohs surgery and a skin graft. There has been no reply so let me share my experience..

There was a basal cell cancer on the right side of my nose

the doctor performed mohs which means that a local is given and the cancer is removed a "little" at a time. The removed particle is viewed by a pathologist to see if the cancer is present. If it is the doctor removes a "little" more until he is successful.

This procedure took about three hours in my case ....As the removal takes place you go to a waiting room until the results are known..Then return for more surgery until they get it all.

The cavity created by this removal caused quite a large cavity so my doctor took skin from in front of my ear and grafted it onto my nose. The skin graft took an additional 1 1/2 hours.

Both areas are bandaged. You remove them 24 hours later and clean with proxide and apply polysporim and rebandage. There will be some blood on the bandage from your nose. I was very concerned about this and made several calls to my doctor and was assured that this was normal. You will see less and less as the days go by.

You will return to have your stitches removed two weeks from the surgery. "strip" bandages will be applied to both sites and they will everntually drop off.

At this time I still must apply poly to my nose but the donar site is completly healed. The skin graft is very light in color and is slightly swelled. The doctor says it will be several months before it looks normal.

There is very little pain involved in this process. The worse part is ensuring that you don't bump or roll over on the site while sleeping.

You can search the internet forever and find a lot of info on mohs but nothing on what to expect for the first few weeks after surgery. I hope that this helps someone.