has anyone had an excision of bcc on the nose and primary closure

Hello davina

I had a basal cell removed from the side of my nose about nine weeks ago by normal excision not mohs.

The margins are clear.

I was going to have a flap surgery but the decision was made to let it heal by itself by primary intention which it has done. There is a visible scar which will fade in time.

I was assured that skin heals very well on the face and certainly a head and neck surgeon will ensure a good incision for healing. It may take time and patient but our skin has a natural ability to heal 

1. Please let us know how you get on 

Hi Sabina

Sorry I meant to say secondary intention

HI Puckettyboo

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my e mail.  As the day of my op gets closer, i  find myself getting more anxious,  so its great to hear from someone who has had a similar procedure which is healing well and margins are clesr.  All very encouraging and I will certainly let you know how I get on .

Hi Davina  I have had 2 bcc's removed on my face, but by a plastic surgeon.  I was offered MOHS but decided to go for normal escision. I had skin flap on one near my nostrol and skin graft on the other near my eye top of my nose.  They were both removed with wide margins and everything was removed.  It is 8 months since I had first one and 5 months for the second one. I have been discharged now and scars are fading well now.  I hope things s well for you on Friday and you get good results.  Keep in touch we are all here to support one another in this journey. xx

Hi Harlyn

Thank you for your good wishes.  You sound as though you have had some tricky procedures and Im so glad to hear that you are out of the woods and healing well now. My dermatologist doesn't do MOH 's Surgery and would have had to refer me elsewhere if he had thought it necessary.  The fact he hasn't is reassuring, but my internet browsing has worried me! As I haven't had a biopsy, I'm hoping that this escision is straightforward and that the BCC isn"t bigger underneath. You cant help worrying when its on your face and like yours, mine is at the top of my nose close to my eye. Really wishing I had gone to the doctors earlier as I first noticed this after Christmas. 

Hi davina

My surgeon made a joint appointment for me me to see the mohs surgeon with him.

The mohs surgeon agreed to do mohs but felt it wasn't necessary for my basal cell. The wait would have been ten months. They could tell without biopsy that it was a basal cell skin cancer.

Basal cells can be bigger underneath and this is why they take a margin of healthy skin as well. This is to remove anything not visible.

Mine had been on my nose almost three years as it had been misdiagnosed and he got it all out during the excision.

I think he took a four or five mil margin of healthy skin 

Hi Puckettyboo

Ten months is a long time to wait especially when you have been misdiagnosed previously. i think you made the right decision! I have two other pearly lesions/spots on my face that have been there for 5 years at least. My BCC looked very similar but  was starting to look a bit red which I put down to my glasses rubbing. Finally went to check with the doctor and he immediately said that looks like a BCC. The dermatologist agreed they all look very similar but on closer inspection was only concerned about the one on my nose.  

Hi davina

All the best for tomorrow. 

It's good that that the surgeon is aware of your other areas on your face too as it means if needed they can be monitored.

I have a couple of areas that they've taken a watch and see approach. I think knowing that they're aware of them takes away some of the worry as well.

Hi again Davina Good luck for tomorrow let us know how it goes.  It is so strange but I have 2 pearly blebs look like a grain of rice under skin and I think my others looked like this to start with.  The one at the top of my nose looked just like you say my glasses had rubbed me.  I thought this as during lockdown my reading glasses broke and I had to ordere some prescription ones on line and I thought they didn't fit right.  When I went to see my surgeon about the one near my nose I said could you just check this other one out.  He put dermascope on it and said it was inconclusive and he would do biopsy when operating on the one near my nose. Biopsy came back as a bcc.  I am worried now about these pearly bumps as if you google bcc's they do say small pearly lumps.  Oh what joy these skin cancers are !!!  Take care and we are here for you at any time xx