Dermatologists: Leaders in the ANTZ parade

[oxygen thief]

When I had that emergency appendectomy in June, all I told them was that I had been smoke-free for 110 days (at that time). They didn't ask anything else, and I was in far too much pain to volunteer anything. I had absolutely zero ill effects, got to go home about 2 hrs after the surgery. Healing progressed normally, except for the incision actually in my navel, where the surgeon actually removed the septic tissue -- she said the appendix was basically in tatters, it was so septic. I'm pretty sure that secondary infection was due more to not fully removing all the septic material, than to the fact that I was a vaper.

Andria

I think the face is where smoking really works against you. Not as much in other areas. Still, a boob job or tummy tuck or other procedures might not happen if you smoke. Reputable PS's don't want their work to look bad because someone uses nicotine.

Also, there is a chance of pneumonia from the anesthesia. Probably more so with smoking but I'm not sure about that.

 

[GinnyTx]

I don't think a surgeon concerned about a healthy healing process after a surgery is part of the ANTZ parade *lol*

he is concerned that say your skin doesn't die and you need an ugly graft or have scarring or bleeding.

another benefit of not smoking (even vaping my dentist has no issue with) I've been undergoing an overhaul and since starting this process and having been sent to a Periodontist, we no longer need his services on my gums prior the the upper and lower recrowning since I've stopped smoking *doing happy dance for saving pain and $3800)


I've had a melanoma removed from my right forearm when I was 18 and paying homage to the sun god. I've assisted in numerous facial reconstructions when they'd float me to plastics from neuro..it depends on how invasive it is...as to the outcome honestly.

I've seen ones where there were craters and then a second reconstructive surgery was needed and seen ones where you'd never have known, each case is different.

discuss what outcome is to be expected with your surgeon.

 

[oxygen thief]

OP is probably mad they'll make him take off his foil hat, too. I know it's hard to believe, but not everyone is out to get you.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who think they know better and when the poop hits the fan the first action they take is to visit a lawyer. Lawsuits can be very damaging to a doctor's reputation. Also, treating BCC is an elective procedure and therefore not a medical emergency. Not all doctors take the Hippocratic oath, either.

Sorry, cancer is not an elective procedure. Slow growing or not it's still cancer. Medicare covers 100%. If you let BCC go long enough the operation could be a much worse scenario. It takes a while to grow but it is growing.

"OP is probably mad they'll make him take off his foil hat, too. I know it's hard to believe, but not everyone is out to get you."

I have no idea what you're talking about so maybe you can find others to post to instead of me. How's that pal?

 

[oxygen thief]

I had precisely this done in Oct of this past year. I told the doctors that I vaped - they nodded and on we went.

Just had a second follow-up appointment last Friday - all good, healing nicely. They even commented how well it was doing....

________

I had the MOHS procedure also - same thing this upcoming procedure. It was very deep. I was called back in two more times so he could cut deeper until no cancer cells remained. Read any plastic surgeons site, they don't like nicotine. Your doctor was an exception and irresponsible for not at least explaining how nic 'could' screw up the results. Again, I smoked two PAD for 40 years and didn't skip a beat so I'm not preaching the gospel here.

 

[oxygen thief]

I don't think a surgeon concerned about a healthy healing process after a surgery is part of the ANTZ parade *lol*

he is concerned that say your skin doesn't die and you need an ugly graft or have scarring or bleeding.

another benefit of not smoking (even vaping my dentist has no issue with) I've been undergoing an overhaul and since starting this process and having been sent to a Periodontist, we no longer need his services on my gums prior the the upper and lower recrowning since I've stopped smoking *doing happy dance for saving pain and $3800)


I've had a melanoma removed from my right forearm when I was 18 and paying homage to the sun god. I've assisted in numerous facial reconstructions when they'd float me to plastics from neuro..it depends on how invasive it is...as to the outcome honestly.

I've seen ones where there were craters and then a second reconstructive surgery was needed and seen ones where you'd never have known, each case is different.

discuss what outcome is to be expected with your surgeon.

I would use a different title on my post but it's a little late for that so...

 

[SuperTaz]

Hi. I had a BCC removed from my chin last March. I was never asked if I smoked or anything of the sort. But on the other hand I only delt with a dermatologist and not a plastic surgeon. PEEPS! Use the sunscreen!

 

[oxygen thief]

Thanks for the replies. I may try to drastically reduce my nic for a month. We'll see. What's crazy about smokers is their GP can preach about cancer and they keep smoking but if it's elective cosmetic surgery many are so motivated for a good outcome, they stop smoking. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[AndriaD]

Andria, Which is not plastic surgery, and does not involve small and also microscopic blood vessels on your face, where you are trying to prevent even the smallest of scars.

For my money, anecdotals from plastic surgeons who has actually performed thousands of surgeries and can show and tell the actual outcomes beats out anecdotals from members of a vaping forum. No offense to anybody, but that's just reality.

OP---------You may have very good results regardless. And I hope you do!

The point is that it increases risks.......in plastic surgery.

That's true. But I have to say, I've never been particularly worried about my face -- what 30 yrs of severe stage 4 acne and resulting pits and scars hasn't wrecked, wrinkles are now playing hell with (around my eyes -- about the only part left not already wrecked from acne). I guess all that was my karma to discourage excessive vanity. It surely worked!

As far as I'm concerned, nicotine is part of my own personal "pkg deal" -- 39 40 yrs (39 smoking, now a year vaping) of it won't be going away just to suit some doc with delusions of omnipotence. They can tell me whatever they like, and I'll keep right on vaping, because if I don't vape, I'll smoke -- it's that simple.

Andria

 

[sacullen]

Sorry, cancer is not an elective procedure. Slow growing or not it's still cancer. Medicare covers 100%. If you let BCC go long enough the operation could be a much worse scenario. It takes a while to grow but it is growing.

Unless you have already waited too long, then yes, treating BCC is indeed an elective procedure. I surmise you don't really understand what an elective procedure is. Most people think it means a procedure is unnecessary, but all it really means is the patient can ELECT when to have the procedure performed. It's like an ingrown toenail; leave it too long, and infection can cause serious complications. Get it checked early, and you can choose when to have it removed.

"OP is probably mad they'll make him take off his foil hat, too. I know it's hard to believe, but not everyone is out to get you."

I have no idea what you're talking about so maybe you can find others to post to instead of me. How's that pal?

Typical response from someone who wears a tin foil hat. Brah, there's no great conspiracy to keep you from your vapes. The Illuminati don't care how you get your Nic fix. We have bigger plans. Oh, crap...

 

[oxygen thief]

That's true. But I have to say, I've never been particularly worried about my face -- what 30 yrs of severe stage 4 acne and resulting pits and scars hasn't wrecked, wrinkles are now playing hell with (around my eyes -- about the only part left not already wrecked from acne). I guess all that was my karma to discourage excessive vanity. It surely worked!

As far as I'm concerned, nicotine is part of my own personal "pkg deal" -- 39 40 yrs (39 smoking, now a year vaping) of it won't be going away just to suit some doc with delusions of omnipotence. They can tell me whatever they like, and I'll keep right on vaping, because if I don't vape, I'll smoke -- it's that simple.

Andria

Like I said, I did not stop my 2 PAD habit for this surgery last time. I'm on disability and this has nothing to do with vanity. It's to ward off a potential "we have to operate again" because of a necrotic flap that has to be redone and I get stuck with the bill for the doctor and anesthesiologist. Want to guess how much that would be? I don't.
I was working and had great insurance in 2009. If you have ever dealt with Medicare you can get screwed in a hurry.
Plastic surgery on the nose and eye area is much harder than most areas of the face. Go to any plastic surgery site in the nation - some ask for much more than 2 weeks. 2 weeks is minimum.
Anyway, we'll see how it goes..thanks for the input. I've just ordered some DIY stuff and I'll see how it goes. Might post a pic to show how involved this surgery is.

 

[aikanae1]

Unless you have already waited too long, then yes, treating BCC is indeed an elective procedure. I surmise you don't really understand what an elective procedure is. Most people think it means a procedure is unnecessary, but all it really means is the patient can ELECT when to have the procedure performed. It's like an ingrown toenail; leave it too long, and infection can cause serious complications. Get it checked early, and you can choose when to have it removed.


Typical response from someone who wears a tin foil hat. Brah, there's no great conspiracy to keep you from your vapes. The Illuminati don't care how you get your Nic fix. We have bigger plans. Oh, crap...

Unbelievable. There are many different forms of BCC and SCC that are invasive, metastic and any of them on the face is particularly dangerous because of all the direct pathways to the brain. They are treated seperatley due to that, "Head and Neck" cancers. Often they don't know what they find under the skin until a procedure begins. They can also evolve, start as one thing and turn into something else. Sight alone is not a measurment to go off of. The A-B-C's of melanoma only catch 40% of them. Sarcoma can look like a skin cancer too.

A lot of this is personal too. It involves patient histoy and health, other contributing factors like how does a person scar?

My experience is with an invasive form of SCC that nearly took my legs within 3 months. Extensive grafting and reconstruction. I was fortunate that it wasn't systemic and no one knows what caused it. I've had at least 20 smaller turmors since and it is so frustrating to work with dumb dermatologists that just read headlines. I realize busy professionals can't always read the latest research in depth, or that's required since so many industry studies are biased. Fortunatley, not all are like that nor does it reflect on their surgical skills. But people are not alike nor are their cancers.

My mom had BCC on her nose and was a smoker, reconstruction and all came out well. My plastic surgeons were amazed at how well my grafts took on my lower legs (a dangerous area due to circulation also) and I had a 100% take. No vaccum required. The local dermatologist refused because I smoked. What BS! I ended up going to MD Anderson CC and they were fabulous - where I was RUSHED into surgery, not once but twice (recurrant later which also proved that drastic measures had been required).

I don't want anyone to think skin cancer is minor. Usually they are, but they can be quite serious and life-threating.

A good friend of mine was a PA and helped me do some research into professional literature. There are a multitude of reviews linking SCC to skin cancer, most of which were citing the same studies over and over. That happens. There were a few good reviews looking at independent data that found no links to smoking, usually from academics. Which does someone believe? Well for many, the ones cited the most which in this case DID link smoking to SCC because that's repeated most. I don't understand why or who benefits, but honestly, in this case I didn't see the link. All I saw was what was repeated most often was most often believed. That was apx. ten years ago. Maybe it's genetic?A virus? Other medical condition that's subclinical? Who knows?

I wish the OP the best of luck.

 

[aikanae1]

Like I said, I did not stop my 2 PAD habit for this surgery last time. I'm on disability and this has nothing to do with vanity. It's to ward off a potential "we have to operate again" because of a necrotic flap that has to be redone and I get stuck with the bill for the doctor and anesthesiologist. Want to guess how much that would be? I don't.
I was working and had great insurance in 2009. If you have ever dealt with Medicare you can get screwed in a hurry.
Plastic surgery on the nose and eye area is much harder than most areas of the face. Go to any plastic surgery site in the nation - some ask for much more than 2 weeks. 2 weeks is minimum.
Anyway, we'll see how it goes..thanks for the input. I've just ordered some DIY stuff and I'll see how it goes. Might post a pic to show how involved this surgery is.

Please keep us updated.

 

[Bored2Tears]

Unless you have already waited too long, then yes, treating BCC is indeed an elective procedure. I surmise you don't really understand what an elective procedure is. Most people think it means a procedure is unnecessary, but all it really means is the patient can ELECT when to have the procedure performed. It's like an ingrown toenail; leave it too long, and infection can cause serious complications. Get it checked early, and you can choose when to have it removed.


Typical response from someone who wears a tin foil hat. Brah, there's no great conspiracy to keep you from your vapes. The Illuminati don't care how you get your Nic fix. We have bigger plans. Oh, crap...

By your definition of elective ........nearly every medical procedure is elective. But, please enlighten us on how you make the decision. When the dermatologist tells you you have basil cell on your face that should be removed. How do you decide on this elective procedure? Now I'm curious.

 

[AndriaD]

By your definition of elective ........nearly every medical procedure is elective. But, please enlighten us on how you make the decision. When the dermatologist tells you you have basil cell on your face that should be removed. How do you decide on this elective procedure? Now I'm curious.

It's elective in the sense that you then make plans for having it done; when I had to have my appendix out, there were no plans -- it was 'get it out now before it kills me!' When my labor wasn't moving forward... it was 'we gotta get that kid outta there before they both die.' There's a really big difference in elective or emergency surgery.

Andria

 

[DC2]

When nicotine is being treated as a big problem, and caffeine is not, then it seems there is a bigger problem.

 

[aikanae1]

When nicotine is being treated as a big problem, and caffeine is not, then it seems there is a bigger problem.

Exactly. Some of the doctors I've run into, I swear I could say that smoking causes the moon to become brittle and shed which will fall to earth and kill someone and they'd believe it without question. Even worse, write up a paper about it.

One of the things I did notice when I was doing that research was the large number of studies relating to how detrimental stress is and for me, stress is a major component for smoking.

 

[CMD-Ky]

I am not a doctor but I play one on the internet. When I need to consult my colleagues on a difficult case, I go to a font of medical knowledge, that being the ECF.

 

[DrMA]

Nicotine impedes blood flow: Effect of nicotine on vasoconstrictor and vasodilator responses in ... - PubMed - NCBI
Nicotine promotes blood flow: http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v7/n7/full/nm0701_833.html

These ANTZ can't even get their lies lined up anymore. I guess when there are so many of them, it tends to get confusing.

 

[aikanae1]

I am not a doctor but I play one on the internet. When I need to consult my colleagues on a difficult case, I go to a font of medical knowledge, that being the ECF.

It's quite possible to do some research with guidance and result in knowing more than a doctor, especially if a person only needs to school themselves on a single disease and/or deals with that one disease repeatedly.

 

[CMD-Ky]

You are right, it is quite possible for any of us here to become an autodidact, knowing more than any physician. And that person may well be you. However, I'll exercise a certain degree of discretion, treating your medical diagnosis and treatment with some skepticism. That skepticism may be misplaced and I may do so to my eternal detriment but I think I will pass on serious consideration of the medical advice found on the ECF. Now, you may choose to do otherwise, so be it. I won't comment on that choice or attempt to dissuade you from that choice.

It's quite possible to do some research with guidance and result in knowing more than a doctor, especially if a person only needs to school themselves on a single disease and/or deals with that one disease repeatedly.