A cancer diagnosis can be traumatic at any age and pediatric cancer can be particularly rough on all involved. Saint Francis plastic and reconstructive surgeons and staff can help alleviate some of this stress by working to correct the damage cancer, and pediatric cancer treatments, can cause to a child's outward appearance.
Reconstructive Surgery After Pediatric Cancer Treatments
Our highly skilled and compassionate team offers a wide range of reconstructive procedures for children following cancer treatments.
Specialties include:
- Revision from radiation: Radiation therapy is a localized therapy, and as such, skin problems are generally confined to the area being radiated. Side effects from radiation include irritated, blistering and flaky skin as well as skin that looks tanned or sunburned. In most cases these heal after treatment, but in some instances the skin remains scarred and/or flawed in some way. Reconstructive surgery is used to correct the long-term damage radiation can cause.
- Scar revision and contracture release: Scarring is a possibility with any surgery. Scar revision is meant to minimize the scar so it is more consistent with the surrounding skin tone and texture. Scars can also grow tight and uncomfortable. In those cases contracture release is used to lessen the tension built up in the skin around the scarring.
- Wound Coverage: Cancer removal can lead to wounds that need coverage. Skin grafting is a procedure that takes skin from one part of the body and attaches it to the wound area. New cells will begin to grow from the grafted skin to cover the damaged area with new skin.
- Skin cancer removal: Reconstructive surgery is used to remove cancerous growths, such as pediatric melanoma, from the skin and restore the area to as near normal as possible. Depending on the cancer, it can take one or multiple procedures to remove all of the affected area. We work with a patient's dermatologist or primary care physician to arrange for skin cancer removal.
Schedule an Appointment with a Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Specialist
Warren Clinic Plastic Surgery — Tulsa Area