Melanoma stage 1a a few questions

Hi Eevee70 and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

When I had my WLE it was done under a general anaesthetic as I was having a sentinel lymph node biopsy at the same time. Also, as my WLE was on my arm I think the recovery time would have been much quicker than having it on a leg.

RosyPosy has recently had a WLE on her leg, although I don't know if it was done under local anaesthetic or not, so I've 'tagged' her in the hope that she'll pop on and tell you about her experiences.

Wishing you all the best

Thanks for the tag Latchbrook

Yes. My melanoma was 1A just above my ankle. It was 0.6mm and original mole about 1cm in diameter. 

WLE was under local anaesthetic. They originally said I’d have a graft, but the surgeon said he’d be able to close it without. The stitching took an awfully long time (there’s not allot of skin on your ankle) but he got it closed. 

I initially had 2 weeks off work then a third  (I’m a teacher and on my feet all day). 

The stitches were removed on week 3, but it hadn’t healed properly and the wound was opening slightly at one end. So now it has suture strips and another dressing on it and I’ve got another two weeks off work. Although I’m working from home with my feet up.

I’m currently 4 weeks post-op and it’s very tight if I spend much time on my feet and is worse on an evening. 

Over the next week I’m planning on forcing myself to get up and walk a bit more each day and then the sutures come off next Tuesday (by which time I can’t imagine it won’t have healed!)

I think that the main problem is that ankles easily swell up so if it’s more ‘mid-shin’ you might find it heals quicker.  I’ve heard that near the knee is awkward too because of the movement of the joint.

Hope that’s useful x

Thank you so much. That's very helpful. Did the surgeon decide on the day that you didn't need a skin graft or was this decided at an appointment in advance of the surgery? 

Have you had the results of your WLE yet? Wishing you all the best xx

Well, at the appointment, he said he’d decide on the day. 

Then, on the day, he started by asking me what I understood I was having done… I said a WLE. Then he looked surprised and said “and what about the skin graft?” So I said that he’d said he’d decide on the day. 

He then checked his notes and checked my leg and said “hmmmm - yes I think it will be fine without” 

I was then in theatre for an hour. I had several local injections so I really couldn’t feel a thing. He took 15 mins to set up and do the excision and 45 mins to stitch it up. And - honestly- he looked quite relieved at the end when it finally had stitched together! He kep changing the types of stitches and redoing it. 

Like I say, there’s very little skin on my ankle and the nurse commented half way through that the skin was delicate (due to my age I reckon) and also being near a joint. 

I’d hope that mid shin might be a bit easier. 

The scar looks just under 4inches long. 

I get the results mid November. They said 6-8 weeks (which was also how long it took for my first set of results to come through) - I think that time varies between different hospitals. 

Just this past Friday I had WLE on my left shin with a skin graft taken from my left thigh and SLNB in my left groin. WLE was a couple of inches above my ankle joint and for 1b melanoma. I had both general and local according to the doctors note due to having the slnb at the same time so I can’t talk to that very much as I don’t remember but I was let out the same day about 4 or 5 hours after the op. But in terms of recovery and work, I returned to work on Monday this week after resting on Saturday and Sunday. I’m lucky as I work a desk job and can work from home. Only requirements were I was told not to drive for 2 weeks and while I can move around, to keep my leg elevated and immobilise as much as I can do as not to risk damaging the graft. Doctor said if I can do that within my job then there’s no reason I can’t work as soon as I wanted to. If I was in my feet all day I would have had to take probably the full 2 weeks before my second checkup at least I’d guess based on how it feels now as it is rather easy to push it too far. 

in terms of how it all feels, after the first 2 days I didn’t need any painkillers but I do still have mild discomfort. Have to be a bit careful when I move around not to pull the various wounds but  in terms of the WLE site and the graft donor site (my left thigh) they are about the same in terms of pain/uncomfortableness. The only one I don’t notice at all except for the first day was the SLNB, which I was surprised at as I figured that one was the most invasive. 

I worried about the procedures beforehand but in all honestly I’ve been pleasantly surprised how well it’s all going to so far as long as I’m careful and I’ve been able to work without issue this week. 

Hi I had a WLE on the lower part of my right leg four weeks ago now, like Rosy Posy they didn’t do a skin graft in the end and at first what looked like a tuck all the way down but mine is healing really well now and the flap is flattening out to leave a neat scar although I have quite a dent in my leg, and there was discomfort at first but think it was the nerves more than anything but I did have problem with swelling,  if I did too much and because I had another mole removed from my left ankle area I had both legs with a wound but the WLE healed better than my ankle but that could be my age as I am retired and don’t work so I could rest but I am a very active person so found it very frustrating. I was told by the nurse to be careful and although it will feel really good and it’s healed on the surface takes longer underneath.   I am now walking a bit further every two or three days as always went for a walk each day and getting ready for when I can play badminton and swim in a couple weeks.   Wishing you a speedy recovery

Hi Rosy Posy,

How are you getting on now, has your wound healed I know you was having to wait a bit longer as your wound had not healed properly, hope you are moving around a bit more

Thanks for asking. Well the Dressing is off, but some of the suture strips are stuck fast. Where they have come off it doesn’t look great. 

Moving around a bit more, but think I overdid it today as my ankle is quite swollen tonight. 

I’ve got my appt through for 15th Nov with Dermatology so for good results. 

Hoping it’s healed properly by then! I’ve bought some bio oil to help the scar heal, but it’s alll scabbed over atm and still weeping a bit so will hold off on that for a while. 

Hope you’re getting back to normal activity levels now?

sorry to hear this Rosy Posy. Hope the healing improves now you are within a dressing. Makes me feel thankful that mine was on my arm as my healing experience has been very different experience. 

Andrew - Have you managed to play golf yet?