I'm freaking out here! I am having MOHS surgery tomorrow on my nose and want to have the name of a great plastic surgeon if I need reconstruction!

Thanks! Sue

Lynn, I can't figure out how to send you an email, or find your address! Chalk it up to an addled pre-MOHS brain!

Just emailed you, Sue.

Sticking my nose in here seww1 - I had MOHS surgery on my nose last December. We have 3 surgeons in the "big city" near me who do MOHS. I was lucky enough to get the best of the 3 (so I've been told and he was wonderful). He did a wonderful job closing. I have had no follow-up treatment. I have another spot on the side of my nose that is going to be biopsied and my surgeon was pretty confident I'd be having MOHS again. I wish you best of luck! Don't stress - I didn't even take a pre-surgery pill to relax me (the pharmacist scared me on that!) and I did fine. One thing I did ask for was numbing cream - I had a numbing injection for the biopsy so I knew what to expect. That did help. Once the injection(s) is over - it's a piece of cake.

I say get a plastic surgeon to close. I was talked into letting the MOHs guy close and I regret it everyday! We all heal differently and maybe I would have had the same unsatisfactory result with a plastic surgeon. I hate that I have to go through more procedures.

Really Mimou? My doc is fantastic. When he told me how many of the MOHS procedures he does DAILY (that is all he does), and gave his thoughts on how to close - I thought why go to someone else? He did an excellent job. I had about a 1 inch closed incision and people cannot tell. I also used the scar cream. I would not look at the "hole" I had after the tumor was removed (mine was an actual encapsulated tumor) but did look at the finished product before he put on the pressure bandage.

Yes, I saw photos of his work and understood he had done many of these procedures as MOHs is all he does too. I had 4 spots done over 2 appointments. Two are great, one is ok and the one on my nose, dead center of my face, is not good. I am now trying to see what options are available.

I'm 4 days past the Mohs surgery now and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with my healing!

Stitches come out on 15th, I'm sure I'll be able to make a better assessment then.

The Dr removed an area about the size of a pencil eraser, much less that I was anticipating. He did need to cut a little above and below the removal area to curve the stitch line around the tip of my nose rather than a line straight down my nose which would have been more visible and perhaps causing a nostril to flare out. I have 10 teeny stitches on a still swollen nose but I'm following instructions carefully to give myself the best possible outcome. I have a Dermabrasion appointment scheduled for 2 months from now, which my DR said will help to reduce visibility of the scar.

I think the worse past of the process was the lidocaine injections in the tip of my nose. That hurt like hell!

Thanks so much Lynn for getting in touch with me!

Sue

Yes, the injections in the face are not fun. I used the numbing cream - which didn't mean I didn't have any pain from the injections, but it lessened it. I didn't have the numbing cream for the injection when I had the biopsy. My friend had a spot on the tip of her nose also and had a plastic surgeon close. He created a "flap". Did your dr. not mention the scar cream? I started using it I believe a week after my stitches came out. My friend also used it. I did not need dermabrasion. I still have a place on the outer area of one nostril and now a place under my eye! I am going to ask about freezing on that spot. Dang it! I was told though, once you have a spot on your nose, you will more than likely have more spots. I am paying for my teen years!! Glad you are pleased with your surgery.

Sue - I sure hope you're doing much better. I'm ashamed to use your medical thread for this but would love to hear how you and Lynn like New Mexico and if you have any thoughts on areas to live between/around Santa Fe and ABQ. If you have time and don't mind, it would be great if you would email me.

Rhonda

Rhonda, I just emailed you from the Houzz site.