Basal Cell Carcinoma

Prolonged exposure to Florida’s sunshine is responsible for the most common eyelid cancer, basal cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma is a lesion that normally occurs on the sun exposed areas of the eyelids. The treatment is surgical excision of the cancer. This is accomplished in the operating room using a local anesthetic and with the help of a pathologist who examines the eyelid with the cancer under a microscope. The pathologist makes certain microscopically that the entire cancer is excised. After the eyelid tumor is removed, reconstructive surgery must be performed to repair the defect that remains. The small lesions may require a few stitches to close the defect. However, the defect created by the removal of large malignant tumors maybe reconstructed with the aid of skin flaps or skin grafts. The goal of the surgery is to remove all of the cancer and to reconstruct the defect to make it look as cosmetically normal as possible.