Background: Mohs micrographic surgery efficiently treats skin cancer through staged resection, but surgeons' varying resection rates may lead to higher medical costs.
Objective: To evaluate the cost savings associated with a quality improvement.
Materials And Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study using 100% Medicare fee-for-service claims data to identify the change of mean stages per case for head/neck (HN) and trunk/extremity (TE) lesions before and after the quality improvement intervention from 2016 to 2021.
Background: Amid a movement toward value-based healthcare, increasing emphasis has been placed on outcomes and cost of medical services. To define and demonstrate the quality of services provided by Mohs surgeons, it is important to identify and understand the key aspects of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) that contribute to excellence in patient care.
Objective: The purpose of this study is to develop and identify a comprehensive list of metrics in an initial effort to define excellence in MMS.
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) granted accreditation to the first 5 Procedural Dermatology Fellowship Training Programs in 2004. The name of the training program was changed from Procedural Dermatology to Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology by the ACGME/Residency Review Committee for Dermatology in 2014. The American Board of Dermatology/American Board of Medical Specialties conducted the first certification examination in Micrographic Dermatology Surgery in October 2021.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Limited data exist on sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the head and neck.
Objective: To review the results of SLNB for patients with cSCC of the head and neck at the authors' institution.
Materials And Methods: A retrospective review was completed for patients who underwent SLNB for cSCC of the head and neck over 19 years.
Importance: There is a paucity of evidence to guide physicians regarding prevention strategies for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs).
Objective: To examine the development and results of a Delphi process initiated to identify consensus-based medical management recommendations for prevention of CSCC in SOTRs.
Evidence Review: Dermatologists with more than 5 years' experience treating SOTRs were invited to participate.
Cutaneous operations are generally safe procedures with minimal major risks. Excessive bleeding occasionally occurs, especially for patients taking antithrombotic medications. Conversely, stopping these medications before cutaneous surgery may increase the risk of a thromboembolic event.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study is to report our institution's experience with pediatric skin malignancies. A single institution retrospective review of pediatric patients with a primary skin malignancy from 1992 to 2020 was performed. Demographics, tumor characteristics and treatment outcomes were reviewed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Perioperative anxiety can negatively impact patient satisfaction and can complicate outpatient dermatologic procedures.
Objective: Evaluate adverse events associated with oral midazolam as a perioperative anxiolytic during dermatologic surgery and assess whether an enhanced monitoring approach is associated with an increased detection rate.
Materials And Methods: Five hundred cases (250 before and after change in monitoring) where patients were administered oral midazolam between July 2015 and May 2017 were retrospectively reviewed.
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy, but to the authors' knowledge, limited data exist regarding the safety and efficacy of these agents in transplant recipients. Herein, the authors have reported their experience with 17 patients who were treated with ICIs for metastatic malignancies after undergoing solid organ transplantation.
Methods: Data were abstracted for solid organ transplant recipients who received ICIs for the treatment of malignancy between January 1, 2016, and September 30, 2019.
Artificial intelligence is generating substantial interest in the field of medicine. One form of artificial intelligence, deep learning, has led to rapid advances in automated image analysis. In 2017, an algorithm demonstrated the ability to diagnose certain skin cancers from clinical photographs with the accuracy of an expert dermatologist.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBecause of a convergence of the availability of large data sets, graphics-specific computer hardware, and important theoretical advancements, artificial intelligence has recently contributed to dramatic progress in medicine. One type of artificial intelligence known as deep learning has been particularly impactful for medical image analysis. Deep learning applications have shown promising results in dermatology and other specialties, including radiology, cardiology, and ophthalmology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDermatologists are among the most inventive physicians, trained in the multiple disciplines of medical dermatology, surgical dermatology, and dermatopathology. Many of the advances in dermatology practice have been derived from inventive colleagues who identify opportunities for improvement in practice, develop viable prototypes to address these practice opportunities, and persevere through the hard work of developing new technologies to advance the practice of dermatology. In this article, we will review the basic elements of invention, patents, and the range of outcomes associated with the pursuit of invention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSkin cancer is the most common malignancy affecting solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR), and SOTR experience increased skin cancer-associated morbidity and mortality. There are no formal multidisciplinary guidelines for skin cancer screening after transplant, and current practices are widely variable. We conducted three rounds of Delphi method surveys with a panel of 84 U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Malignancy is a major cause of late post-heart transplantation (HT) mortality. Sirolimus (SRL) exerts antiproliferative properties and its long-term use in HT as primary immunosuppression (IS) is associated with decreased mortality risk that is not fully explained by attenuation of cardiac allograft vasculopathy progression.
Objectives: This study sought to examine whether conversion from calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based to SRL-based IS was associated with decreased risk of malignancy post-HT.
Background: Little information is available to predict which patients require opioid analgesia following cutaneous surgery. When opioids are indicated, information regarding the optimal opioid agent selection and dosage is lacking.
Objective: To make recommendations for opioid prescription after cutaneous surgery.
Background: Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) encompasses rare neoplasms that can arise either in the dermis or in the subfascial soft tissue. The behavior of UPS ranges from indolent to aggressive, but data predicting outcomes are limited.
Objective: Identify predictors of poor outcomes by analyzing a large collection of UPS cases.
Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous malignancy of neuroendocrine origin with a high propensity for lymph node metastasis. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) status is important for accurate staging; however, the optimal treatment following SLN biopsy, regardless of nodal status, remains unclear.
Methods: 150 patients with MCC who underwent SLN biopsy from 1995 to 2011 at 3 Mayo Clinic sites were reviewed.
Most primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas are cured with surgery. A subset, however, may develop local and nodal metastasis that may eventuate in disease-specific; death. This subset has been variably termed high risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare intraepithelial adenocarcinoma occurring mainly in the anogenital region. Traditional management with wide local excision has shown high recurrence rates, thus Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) has emerged as a promising treatment option.
Objective: To compare long-term outcomes after treatment with MMS or excision for primary EMPD.
Importance: Skin cancer is the most common malignancy occurring after organ transplantation. Although previous research has reported an increased risk of skin cancer in solid organ transplant recipients (OTRs), no study has estimated the posttransplant population-based incidence in the United States.
Objective: To determine the incidence and evaluate the risk factors for posttransplant skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), melanoma (MM), and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) in a cohort of US OTRs receiving a primary organ transplant in 2003 or 2008.
Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a progressive, recurrent inflammatory disorder.
Objective: To assess long-term satisfaction and postoperative perceptions among patients who underwent surgical management of HS.
Materials And Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 499 HS surgical patients to assess surgical outcome, satisfaction, and quality of life.
Background: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a soft tissue tumor with slow infiltrative growth and local recurrence if inadequately excised.
Objective: To compare long-term outcomes after Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) and wide local excision (WLE).
Materials And Methods: Records of patients with DFSP surgically treated with WLE or MMS from January 1955 through March 2012 were retrospectively reviewed.