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Removal of eye lesions requires preoperative planning
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WAILEA, Hawaii — Preoperative planning is crucial when it comes to the removal of lesions around the eye, according to a speaker here.
Eli L. Chang
“As far as lumps and bumps go, most ophthalmologists walk into a dark room and do not take the time to look at the patient,” Eli L. Chang, MD, FACS, said at the Hawaiian Eye 2015 meeting.
Skin cancer is accurately diagnosed 92% of the time by dermatologists and 69% of the time by ophthalmologists, Chang said.
“I implore all of you to take a second to turn on the lights before looking at your patients and look for any lumps and bumps. How long has this been there? Has it been bleeding?” Chang said.
Benign lesions are more symmetric looking, have regular borders, do not cause bleeding and do not cause loss of lashes, he said.
Most common malignant lesions are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, sebaceous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, he said.
When treating these lesions, surgeons should consider what layers must be replaced, what will be used to replace the layers and where the vascular supply is coming from, Chang said.
“Know the anatomy. If it does not make sense, investigate. If your treatment is not working, investigate,” Chang said. —
Disclosure: Chang reports no relevant financial disclosures.