Case Study – Peter
Peter is a doctor who was working throughout the first Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, he was required to wear FFP3 masks. He developed a painful lesion on the side of the nose, that he initially put down to an infection. When it failed to improve, he consulted Mr Stodell for advice.
Mr Stodell suspected that this might be a small skin cancer, so he initially performed a shave biopsy. The shave biopsy confirmed both a nodular and infiltrative type basal cell carcinoma. Mr Stodell referred him to one of the Mohs’ surgeons who performed Mohs’ micrographic surgery.
The resultant defect was a large wound on the nose that extended from the tip to the nasal dorsum and nasal ala.
Mr Stodell discussed different reconstruction options with Peter, including full thickness skin grafting, local flap reconstruction and artificial skin substitutes. Peter decided to proceed with an artificial skin substitute.
The reconstruction was performed under local anaesthetic and with the use of Integra ® Dermal Regeneration Template. After 1 week, the tie-over dressing was removed and then simple dressings were changed every 3 – 4 days. At 3 weeks, the outer silicone dressing was removed and Peter began washing the area gently on a daily basis and continued to apply simple dressings. The wound was then allowed to heal by itself by re-epithelialisation.
If you have been diagnosed with or have a suspected skin cancer or have a benign skin lesion that you would like removed, please contact London Skin Surgeon to book a consultation with Mr. Matthew Stodell. During the consultation, he will perform a focused examination and discuss your most appropriate treatment options.