Skin cancer Surgery
Skin cancers are very common in Australia.
The smaller they are, particularly around the eye area, the easier they are to treat. If you have a suspicious lump around the eye or eyebrow area, Dr Ullrich will perform a thorough examination of your face and eyes.
A small biopsy may be taken under local anaesthetic to confirm or exclude a diagnosis. If excision surgery is required, some normal skin surrounding the skin cancer needs to be removed along with the cancerous lesion. This reduces the risk of the skin cancer recurring. The area is then rebuild by using the surrounding healthy skin (flap) or sometimes a skin graft may be required. In certain situations, various techniques are combined to achieve the best cosmetic and functional outcome.
In most people, sutures will need to be removed after 5-10 days. The surgical site will look red and obvious, but this will fade with time.
Please see the “Having Surgery?” section for more advice regarding scar management.
Once a skin cancer has been removed, you will require long term surveillance. Dr Ullrich will discuss with you whether you may see herself, your GP or dermatologist. If you have a diagnosis of a skin cancer around the eye area, it is essential to have a full body check for other skin cancers with your GP.