Reconstructive surgery is performed to correct injuries following facial trauma and to correct defects created with the removal of cancer. The goal of this surgery is to restore a natural appearance of the involved area involved and to restore function.
Many patients come to the office after a skin cancer has been removed from the face or neck by a dermatologist using Moh’s micrographic surgery. This leaves a defect in the face that may need reconstruction by Dr. Swartout. Many reconstructive options are available and they are specially tailored to the individual patient depending on the size and location of the skin defect and the patient’s desires.
Related procedures: Revision Rhinoplasty, Otoplasty.
Reconstructive Surgery FAQs
I have been diagnosed with a cancer on my lip and am scheduled to have it removed using the Moh’s technique. When should I see a plastic surgeon for the reconstruction?
Your dermatologist may be perfectly skilled at reconstructing the defect. Discuss this with your doctor to see if a plastic surgeon’s input could be beneficial. If possible, visit the plastic surgeon before the tumor is removed so your lip can be examined and photos can be taken. Frequently, the reconstruction can be done the same day as the resection.
I think I broke my nose. What should I do?
It is important to have your nose examined by a doctor within the first few hours. It is possible when you injured your nose you developed a blood collection under the mucosa covering the septum. This is called a septal hematoma and must be drained right away. The next step is to determine if the bones or cartilage have been broken, and if they should be corrected. The correction sometimes be done immediatley but frequently is best done 7 to 10 days after the injury. This allows enough time for some improvement in the skin swelling, but does not allow the bone to heal together in the new, crooked position.
I cut my face yesterday and I think I need stitches. What should I do?
If more than 12 hours have passed it may be too late for sutures. You should see a physician to have the area cleaned and examined. Depending on the location and depth of the injury, there may be damage to deeper structures and this needs to be addressed. You may also need to be on an antibiotic to treat or reduce the chance of an infection.
I went to 4 of the top facial plastics rhinoplasty docs in southern california. All were great but Dr. Swartout was the best. I had my primary (open) rhinoplasty 3 years ago and was very unhappy with the results. Dr. Swartout spent an hour with me and we both agreed upon a digital image of what I wanted my nose to look like. He told me it's important that we're on the same page and that's why the digital image is so important...it's his goal to achieve that result while doing the surgery. It's been 2 months and my nose looks fabulous. I went to a family party 8 days after surgery and no one noticed I had surgery. All they said was "wow you look great", etc. I met with another, well-known, doc in town who is known for closed primary rhino and he referred me to Dr. Swartout. He told me he has sent patients to various facial plastics docs and Dr. Swartout's patients have consistently been the happiest. That's all I needed to hear. I few of my close friends and relatives are MDs and they told me to make sure to have a board-certified, ENT-trained, facial plastics doc do my surgery and not have a general plastics doc do it. ENT docs focus ONLY on the face/neck during their entire training. General plastics focus on the entire body (breast, lipo, etc). I was dreading have a revision, especially because I had such a bad experience with my first surgery. Dr. Swartout gained my trust and delivered realistic, beautiful results. When having plastic surgery, it's wise to get several consultations/opinions. It would be unwise not to have one of those be with Dr. Swartout.
- Real patient
