Skin cancer removal is often necessary for your health, but the area left behind can affect how you look, speak, blink, breathe, or move nearby tissue. This is especially true when cancer is removed from the nose, eyelids, lips, ears, or cheeks. Skin cancer removal and reconstruction repairs the area with attention to both appearance and function.
Elite Plastic Surgery in Grand Rapids, Michigan, provides reconstructive care for delicate and visible areas of the face and body. Our team includes Drs. Shannon Armstrong, William Cullen, Matthew Martin, and Matthew Fahrenkopf. Drs. Armstrong, Cullen, and Martin are board-certified plastic surgeons, and Dr. Cullen has more than 20 years of experience in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
Why Reconstruction May Be Needed
After skin cancer removal, the wound can range from a small surface opening to a deeper defect involving skin, cartilage, or nearby support structures. Even a small wound can become more complex when it sits near the eyelid, nose, lip, or ear.
Depending on the area, reconstruction can:
- Close the wound securely
- Rebuild natural-looking contours
- Preserve eyelid, nostril, lip, or ear shape
- Reduce pulling on nearby tissue
- Place scars as discreetly as possible
Your repair plan is based on the location and depth of the tissue loss, along with your skin quality, health history, and the way the area moves during normal expression.
Common Reconstructive Techniques
Several methods may be used after skin cancer removal. A simple closure may work for smaller wounds when the surrounding skin can come together without too much tension. Larger or deeper wounds may require nearby tissue to cover the area, which is often called a local flap.
A skin graft may be used when nearby tissue is not the best option. In some cases, cartilage or staged reconstruction is needed to rebuild deeper support, especially on the nose. Our blog on how plastic surgeons rebuild tissue lost to skin cancer explains these options in more detail.
Nasal reconstruction needs special planning because the nose has limited extra skin and important structural support. You can read more in our related blog on rebuilding nasal structure following skin cancer removal.
Facial Areas That Need Extra Care
Facial reconstruction requires careful planning because small changes can affect expression, symmetry, or movement. Around the eyelids, reconstruction must protect closure and blinking. Around the lips, it must account for shape, speech, and movement. Around the ears and nose, both contour and support matter.
Our experience with facial surgery helps guide repairs in visible and delicate areas. If a scar remains raised, wide, or tight after healing, scar revision may also be discussed later.
Talk With Our Reconstructive Team
After skin cancer removal, reconstruction should protect your health while helping the treated area heal as naturally as possible. Elite Plastic Surgery offers reconstructive care in Grand Rapids, MI, and our team can walk you through your repair options. Use our contact us page or call 616-459-1907.
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