Um, So Like Where was the Plastic?

Warning! There is mild description of a surgery in this post.

I had a very interesting day at the VA today. I got to hang out with the plastic surgery team with the morning consisting of clinic time & the afternoon in the OR. In the morning I saw a wide variety of patients needing to be evaluated for skin cancers, arterio-venous malformations, abscess incision and drainage, patients needing breast reduction, patients needing breast reconstruction, a broken nose, etc. WOW!!!!

THEN, I got to see a reconstructive surgery in the afternoon. Totally cool! The patient had a large section of tissue removed from his face the day before where there had been a recurrent squamous cell carcinoma. Poor patient!!! So, since the incision was what is known as "full-thickness," they had to take a flap of "full-thickness" skin from his forehead and flap it down next to his nose where the defect was. They then, stretch the forehead skin back together and suture it back & suture the skin flap. The patient will have to return in a few weeks to have it contoured some more, and do the final touches of the surgery. They wait a few weeks to allow the new blood flow to be created in that area. WOW!!!! It was soooo cool!!!

If you can handle the description and pictures, here is a similar procedure. Except, our patient had the skin right next to the nose replaced today.

Tomorrow I will be in the OR all day; no clinic. So, you will probably be hearing more cool stories from me if I have time to post. When I get home, I'll have to pack for the trip....so I may not have time to post right away.

Very cool!