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
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.
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.
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.
Why choose Dr. Swartout
- Fellowship trained sub-specialist in Facial Plastic surgery who attended college at Harvard University.
- Attended medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
- Interned in general surgery at New York University, followed by a specialty residency in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck surgery at New York University.
- Completed a fellowship in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he worked with Dr. Dean Toriumi.
- A member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery and the American Rhinologic Society.
- Teaches nasal surgery to residents at Harbor UCLA both to contribute to the education of future doctors and to give back to an underserved community.
- Special interests include the development of rhinoplasty techniques to create long lasting, favorable nasal shape and good nasal breathing.
