Reconstructive Challenges in Dermatology: Case Studies and Approaches

The presentation covers reconstructive challenges in dermatology through three case studies. The first case involves an 87-year-old male with a squamous cell carcinoma resulting in significant ear deformity. The surgical team debated various reconstruction methods and ultimately opted for a preauricular interpolation flap that was successful in restoring ear contour after careful planning. The second case presented a 27-year-old female with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) on the cheek, masked by personal struggles, including alcohol use. Following a trial of imatinib that showed some tumor response, she chose to proceed with surgical resection involving muscle repair and an island pedicle flap, achieving both functional restoration and personal recovery. The last case centers on a 65-year-old woman with a growing basal cell carcinoma that went untreated for years. The reconstruction involved using a forehead flap and a tacking suture technique for greater precision in restoring the nasal shape. Throughout the presentation, the importance of personalized approaches in surgical dermatology, the potential for patient transformation post-surgery, and the intricacies of flap design and recovery were emphasized.