From Mohs to Micro: The Evolution of Skin Cancer Defect Repair

Saturday, October 17, 2026

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM PT

Location: 515B

Moderator(s)

MA

Marianne Abouyared, MD

Associate Professor
University of California Davis, United States

Panelist(s)

Arnaud F. Bewley, MD

Chair, Department of Otolaryngology
UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
California, CA, United States
AT

Akina Tamaki, MD

Head and Neck Surgeon
Temple Health
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Patrick T. Tassone, MD

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, United States

Disclosure(s):

Patrick T. Tassone, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Attendees can expect this session to provide high-yield skin cancer defect cases and numerous methods for reconstructing these defects. Panelists will "debate" whether the reconstruction needs a microvascular free tissue transfer or another method would suffice. Nuances related to each defect site (cranial hardware, lip function, etc) will be discussed to ensure the attendees are getting the most out of each case example. The cases chosen will also include patients treated with prior immunotherapy as this is now an important part of skin cancer treatment for both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.

Learning Objectives:

Demonstrate reconstructive indications and limitations of grafts, local, regional, and free flap reconstruction of cutaneous defects.
Discuss situations in which wound-healing may be compromised, including in those patients on immunotherapy and/or when adjuvant radiation may be required
Evaluate advanced skin cancer cases with difficult decision-making, and when non-operative measures versus palliative surgery should be considered.