Reconstructive skin cancer surgery: Pearls from a specialist

Skin cancer surgery is about more than removing a lesion. Once the cancer has been excised, reconstruction needs to restore the form, function, and symmetry of the affected area, particularly when surgery involves anatomically complex sites such as the nose and upper lip.

In this short video, Specialist Skin Cancer Plastic Surgeon Dr Nathan Schaefer shares his pearls of wisdom in reconstructive surgery.

Watch the video

What's covered in the video

Dr Schaefer shares key principles from his experience in reconstructive surgery, including:

• Why the nose and upper cutaneous lip can be particularly challenging areas to reconstruct
• Why achieving clear margins should come before planning reconstruction
• Common pitfalls, from defaulting to the simplest reconstruction to performing techniques without appropriate training
• The importance of respecting cosmetic subunits when reconstructing the nose
• How the principle of "replacing like with like" can help achieve better cosmetic outcomes
• The importance of preserving both form and function throughout the reconstructive process

For GPs performing skin cancer surgery, understanding when a simple approach is appropriate, and when more complex reconstruction or specialist input may be required, is an important part of achieving good patient outcomes.

Next steps in your learning journey

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Learn more about Nathan Schaefer at https://drnathanschaefer.com.au/