Skin Cancer

Options for removal and reconstruction of periorbital skin cancers

One of the most common treatment methods for skin cancers is to excise or remove the cancer surgically.  The surgeon removes the entire growth along with a small border of normal skin. The defect left behind is then reconstructed at the same time as the removal, and the removed lesion and margins are sent to a laboratory. In the lab, it is confirmed that all cancerous cells have been removed.

Another treatment for skin cancer is Mohs Micrographic Surgery. Our surgeons work closely with specially trained dermatologists who remove very thin layers of the remaining tissue that surrounds the lesion. The skin is removed one layer at a time. Each layer is checked under a microscope, and the procedure is repeated until the skin is cancer-free.

To confirm that the eyelids function properly after reconstruction, the dermatologists prefer that our MOPSS physicians perform the reconstruction and close the defect created by the Mohs excision.  This procedure is called a Mohs reconstruction and the technique will vary based on the size and location of the Mohs defect.