After the skin cancer has been completely removed, your surgeon, sometimes together with your referring doctor, will decide how best to manage the wound created by the surgery. In some instances, they will choose to allow the wound to heal or scar in by itself. This is called healing by "granulation" or "second intention." In most cases, the wound can be repaired, either by stitches or by means of a skin graft or flap. The decision will depend on the size and location of your wound. Every wound is different. The author rarely lets wounds heal by second intention, perhaps in one case of every thousand.

If the wound is left to heal by itself, patients will require daily bandage changes for a period of approximately four to eight weeks, whereas most stitched wounds are closed instantly and stitches usually removed in one week. Patients should be given printed instructions, which will describe how the bandages are to be changed. For other forms of closure, see Closing a Defect after Skin Cancer Surgery.

© 1997-2003, Paul J. Weber, M.D., P.A., All Rights Reserved