Basic Skin Cancer Surgery Manual For Dermatologists

There has been little tradition for formal teaching and practicing dermatological surgery in Scandinavian countries. Surgical skills have been acquired by informal teaching from colleagues, random observation of the surgical procedures or autodidactic education from books and articles. This situation must change. Dermatological surgery is one of the most important skills and every dermatologist should be familiar with at least basic surgical procedures. Current practice of surgery in dermatology evolved into oncological surgery (including Mohs surgery) and cosmetic surgery. This manual focuses on oncologic surgery and does not discuss cosmetic procedures. It is cantered around the very basic skill: the excision of skin cancers and primary closure of skin defects. More advanced techniques, such as complex local flaps and Mohs surgery are only briefly mentioned. This manual is written as a handbook for the participants in the skin surgery courses organized by the Nordic Dermatological Association and is by no means a substitute for an authoritative text in dermatological surgery. We hope that you find this manual useful and that it will stimulate your interest in the enjoyable and fascinating practice of dermatological surgery.