Skin Cancer Service - Plymouth Hospitals

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Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust • what help and support you have, e.g. with cooking, shopping, care of young children Skin Cancer Service We will give you information about: • the operation itself • how long you can expect to be in hospital • what to expect after the operation and your discharge from hospital • some of the risks involved • we will want to weigh you, record your blood pressure and pulse We may also want to carry out other investigations, including: • blood tests • ECG (tracing of heart activity) • MRSA screening What do I need to bring? You need to bring any medication you are taking What happens if you feel unwell or we find something wrong? Simple problems can often be treated by your GP before you are due to come into hospital, this will allow the operation to go ahead as planned. However, complicated problems are sometimes more difficult to solve; your consultant or anaesthetist may postpone your operation temporarily to allow time for further tests or treatment. This is to ensure you are as fit as possible for your operation. If this happens you will be given a new admission date as soon as possible. If you have any problems / queries please do not hesitate to contact Marlborough Ward Tel: 0845 155 8133 Pre-operative Assesment Skin Cancer Service
Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust Skin Grafts for Skin Cancer Skin Cancer Service Your Hospital Team Surgery for skin cancer involves removing the affected area and some of the surrounding, healthy-looking skin. If the area is fairly small, it will be possible to close the wound by bringing the edges of the skin together. Larger wounds may need a skin graft to cover the area. Skin grafts are layers of skin taken from another part of the body (see the ‘donor site’ leaflet) and placed over the area where the cancer has been removed. A partial thickness (or split thickness) skin graft is where the epidermis and a part of the dermis layer is used. The skin is usually taken from the thigh, buttock or upper arm. Skin will grow back in this area. A full thickness skin graft is where the epidermis and the full dermis layers are used. In this case, only a small area is taken from the donor site and the skin edges of the donor site are then stitched together to heal. Skin may be taken from the neck, the area behind the ears and the inner side of the upper arm. How is a skin graft applied? You may have either a general or a local anaesthetic depending on the area being grafted. Your doctor will advise you which is best for you. Once the skin layer has been taken from the donor site, it is placed over the wound where the cancer has been removed. The graft may be stapled, stitched or glued in place, or simply laid onto the area. These techniques depend on the patient, the size of the skin graft and the area where it is applied, or on the Consultant’s instructions. What happens after the surgery? You will need to take things gently for the first two weeks to allow the graft to heal properly. The grafted area is quite fragile, so it is important not to rub or brush against the graft or the dressing, Skin Grafts for Skin Cancer Skin Cancer Service
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Skin Cancer Service - Plymouth Hospitals

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