Plastic surgery after ablative cancer surgery

Plastic and reconstructive surgery often is conceptualized either as "cosmetic" or as involving complex operations with massive flaps or time-consuming and difficult microsurgery. A number of personal cases are used to illustrate that reconstruction after cancer surgery, even reconstruction of some large tumors, can be performed with modern modifications of classic local flaps, but that sound knowledge and skill in basic surgical and plastic techniques are inescapable prerequisites.