Diagnosed stage 1 melanoma

I had my results back a few days ago confirming I have stage 1 melanoma on my calf. They said they are happy it was all removed with the initial excision but need to remove further tissue. I have a consultation in a weeks time with the plastic surgeon team to discuss my Wide local excision. This is due to already having quite a bit of skin removed first time round and I may need a graft? I’m just struggling to understand how this is done as was told my original my surgery was a wide excision, they did an elliptical cut leaving me with neat 4cm scar. But I don’t understand how they would do this again, as the mole is no longer there? I know I can ask all this at mey next appointment but it’s niggling me not understanding how a second wide excision is done? 

  • Hi Amy,

    They can tell from the scar of the initial surgery where the mole had been located & then they work out the dimensions of the elliptical cut from that. Hopefully you'll get away without having to have a skin graft but this next scar will be much larger. You should be given a leaflet similar to this to explain the procedure yorkhospitals.nhs.uk/seecmsfile/?id=4996 Good luck & I hope you aren't waiting long for it to be done.

    Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

  • Ah ok thankyou, you don’t think to ask all these questions in the moment then come away and I’m full of them! yeah I’m hoping they won’t need to do a graft, fingers crossed it will be a straight forward cut. Thankyou for the leaflet, I will hopefully be feeling more clear next week after my appointment!