Do Patterns of Reconstruction Choices After Mohs Surgery Vary by Specialty? A Pilot Study of Mohs Surgeons and Facial Plastic Surgeons.

[BACKGROUND] Differences in approach to repair a specified defect after Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) between specialties have not been previously examined.

[OBJECTIVE] To assess the difference in frequency of which reconstruction repairs are selected after MMS, among Mohs surgeons and facial plastic surgeons (FPS), and evaluate whether the level of satisfaction with the final repair outcome differed between specialties.

[MATERIALS AND METHODS] The study was approved by the Saint Louis University Institutional Review Board. A link to the survey was distributed to members of American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) and American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), between January and May 2016.

[RESULTS] The reconstructive procedure selected most often ("top choice") was not significantly different between Mohs surgeons and FPS for the majority of the images. There was no material difference in how dermatologists and FPS rate the aesthetic outcome of the 3 presented closure types, with the exception of one closure type-nose with graft.

[CONCLUSION] Mohs surgeons were found to more likely cluster around a single preference for their reconstruction technique compared with FPS, in which a higher percentage of surgeons also selected other options.