Reconstruction
Reconstruction restores form and function after skin cancer excision, trauma, or previous surgery. It uses local flaps, skin grafts, and scar revision to rebuild the defect with tissue that matches the surrounding skin as closely as possible.
◉ Fig.05 · Local flap plan — defect, rotation arc, closure line
Who it's for
Patients left with a defect after skin cancer excision, an unfavourable scar from previous surgery or injury, or an area of skin that has healed poorly. Reconstruction is planned around the specific tissue loss and the function of the region involved.
How Dr Hoffmann approaches it
Reconstruction is planned in the same sitting as the excision wherever possible, so the patient wakes up already reconstructed. Where the tissue characteristics or the histology are uncertain, the reconstruction may be staged to a second visit. Dr Hoffmann selects the simplest option that will give a durable, well-matched result — often a local flap that borrows adjacent skin, occasionally a skin graft, and sometimes a straightforward direct closure.
The procedure itself
Local flaps rotate or advance adjacent skin into the defect, preserving colour and texture. Skin grafts take a thin sheet of skin from a hidden donor site (commonly the thigh or behind the ear) and secure it into the defect. Scar revision reshapes an existing scar so it sits in a more favourable line, often combined with steroid or laser follow-up.
Anaesthesia
Smaller reconstructions are performed under local anaesthetic in the rooms. Larger flaps, grafts, and reconstructions in cosmetically sensitive areas are performed under general anaesthesia in an accredited theatre.
Recovery timeline
- Day 1–5Dressings kept in place and dry. Grafts, in particular, require an undisturbed early period for the graft to take.
- Day 7–14Sutures removed. Flap or graft appearance is reviewed and further care planned.
- Week 2–4Scar management begins once the wound has closed — silicone, massage, and strict sun protection.
- Month 3Colour and contour of the reconstruction begin to blend with the surrounding skin.
- Month 6–12Scars mature and fade. Where warranted, a small secondary revision may be considered to refine the result.
Risks
All surgery carries risk. General considerations include the risks of anaesthesia, bleeding, infection, delayed wound healing, scarring, altered sensation, asymmetry, and — in a small proportion of cases — the need for revision. Dr Hoffmann will discuss the specific risks relevant to your procedure and your health in detail during consultation. Results vary between individuals; no outcome can be guaranteed.
Common questions
Request a consultation with Dr Hoffmann
Every plan begins with an unhurried conversation, an examination, and drawn markings — never a quote over the phone.