Reconstructive plastic surgery after a Mohs procedure can help restore your look.

Learning that you have skin cancer can be tough enough. But if your cancer is located on your face, it can be particularly tough emotionally. Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery are specialists in post-cancer reconstructive surgery and can help beautifully restore your look.

Named for its originator Dr. Fred Mohs, Mohs surgery also is known as Microscopically Controlled Excision. The technique first became available in the 1940s and involved using a chemical fixative to kill the cancer and still its movement in the skin, allowing for its removal. It gave way to “chemosurgery,” a term widely used today although the surgery has been refined over the years and rarely makes use of the chemical fixative today.

The aim of Mohs surgery is to remove cancerous tissue in an extremely precise manner, leaving as small a wound as possible. But even a small scar can mar a patient’s face, causing feelings of self-consciousness. That’s where Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery comes in. Dr. Phillip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia work closely with Northeast Florida’s top Mohs surgeons to help patients heal with little or no scarring. The Mohs dermatologist typically will remove your cancer in his office, then place a dressing over it. You’ll then see one of the Drs. Garcia, who will carefully repair the defect at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery’s JCAHO-certified office-based surgery suite.

If you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer on your face and plan to undergo Mohs surgery, call Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery at 904-247-8522 to schedule your post-Mohs reconstructive procedure. We’ll make sure that people see you – not your scar.

Antonio received life-changing facial reconstructive surgery thanks to the FACE Foundation and Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery.

Remar is home to Antonio, a young boy who recently received life-changing surgical treatment from the Drs. Garcia through the FACE Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free facial reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children. Volunteer doctors and medical professionals offer their services to help children who are victims of facial injuries from dog bites, auto accidents, congenital deformities or other traumas. Antonio’s story is particularly moving. As a young boy living in one of the poorest slums of Central America, he experienced a horrific betrayal at the hands of his own grandmother. Angry that Antonio was crying, she took a burning amber from a stove and held it to his mouth, causing injuries so severe that the entire middle sections of his top and bottom lips had to be removed.

Antonio was left with a disfigured smile and a constant reminder of the abuse by someone he loved and trusted. But thanks to the FACE foundation and other charitable organizations, the boy was brought to Jacksonville in 2008, where the Drs. Garcia performed reconstructive surgery to repair Antonio’s lips. He recovered at the home of Safa and Kristi Mansouri, who cared for him throughout more than a year of multiple surgeries and recovery periods. The couple continues efforts to help Antonio and other children living with him at the Remar Orphanage and will coordinate sending toys and money collected throughout the toy drive to Remar.

“A smile is a simple but powerful thing and it’s something that most of us take for granted,” said Dr. Philip Garcia. “Giving a little of our time and expertise to help give children the ability to smile and feel normal after a traumatic experience, or even for the first time in their lives, is something that gives us great joy.”

If you would like to donate toys, look for the drop boxes at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Garcia Reviva Medical Spa in Neptune Beach and at Brucci’s Pizza in Ponte Vedra Beach. Speak with staff at these locations about making monetary donations to Remar. Everyone who makes a donation to the toy drive will automatically be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a Four Layer Facial from Reviva Medical Spa.

You also can make one-time donations or set up monthly or bi-weekly gifts to help support the FACE Foundation’s ongoing efforts via its website. Besides performing surgical procedures, FACE also develops educational and outreach programs to promote child safety and offers fellowships for medical students designed to introduce them to advanced facial plastic surgery techniques.

However, other reasons for otoplasty exist, including genetic disorders such as Treacher Collins syndrome, hemifacial microsomia and Stahl’s deformity (known as “Spock ear”); and traumatic ear injuries caused by car crashes, fights or dog bites, for instance. Reconstructive or cosmetic ear surgery can involve moving, reshaping, adding or removing ear elements.

Before and after photos of an otoplasty procedure by Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery. Click the image to see more patient photos.

Otoplasty was first developed in ancient India around 600 BC and often was used to reconstruct ears that had been amputated as a punishment for crimes. Those same early procedures form the basis for the very procedures that are performed today. The most common ear surgery procedures involve removing excess cartilage from the center back of the ear, then reconnecting the ear closer to the scalp using absorbable sutures. In pediatric ear surgery, Jacksonville surgeons typically perform the procedure under general anesthesia. Adults are treated under local or twilight anesthesia. Immediately following the procedure, patients wear headbands that keep their ears in place 24 hours a day for three weeks. And most are able to resume normal athletic activity within two weeks following ear surgery.

Jacksonville’s Drs. Phillip Garcia and Roberto Garcia focus exclusively on facial reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Otoplasty is a specialty for them, so rest assured that you are in the best of hands. To discuss your ear surgery, contact Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute at (904) 247-8522.

In 1827, Dr. John Peter Mettauer performed America’s first cleft palate surgery using instruments he designed himself, several of which are on display at the Esther Thomas Atkinson Museum at Hampden-Sydney College where Dr. Mettauer studied. He is largely considered America’s first notable plastic surgeon. By the end of World War I, plastic surgery had been catapulted into an international specialty, as surgeons throughout America, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary treated war-weary soldiers who returned home with extensive facial and head injuries. This surge in plastic surgery’s use and acceptance in the medical field led to the founding of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (known as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons since 1999), the industry’s first professional organization. The late 1930s brought about the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which in 1941, came under the jurisdiction of the American Board of Medical Specialties and conducted exams to qualify physicians as plastic surgeons.

World War II brought another surge in plastic surgery as the now-burgeoning specialty boasted hundreds of qualified surgeons. During the 1940s, ASPRS founder Dr. Jacques Maliniac formed the Educational Foundation of ASPS, today known as the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation, which specializes in supporting plastic surgery research and education. And Dr. Gustave Aufricht founded the Journal of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, which remains a trusted reference to this day.

The 1950s and 1960s brought numerous plastic surgery advances, as well as a growing acceptance by the public. Plastic surgeons began to appear on television, silicone was developed – originally to treat skin perfections, then used in the first breast implant device unveiled by Dr. Thomas Cronin of Houston – and in 1969, ASPS member Hal Jennings became the first plastic surgeon appointed Surgeon General of the United States by then-President Richard Nixon.

The 1990s and the advent of the publicly accessible Internet helped boost awareness of plastic surgery and its many facets of both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. But the decade also brought its first crisis. An explosive episode of “Face-to-Face with Connie Chung” detailed problems that some women experienced with silicone breast implants and eventually resulted in the FDA calling for a moratorium on the use of silicone gel breast implants in 1992. The implants were taken off the open market and made available only to women undergoing reconstruction clinical studies, and a $4 million class action lawsuit was filed against implant maker Dow Corning Corp. Studies continued and in November 2006, silicone implants were back on the market for women 22 and older.

The FDA’s approval of Botox in 2002 kicked off the explosive growth of the use of injectable treatments for wrinkles, providing a minimally invasive way to help patients regain or retain their youthful looks. During the late 1990s and through today, the ASPS and plastic surgeons nationwide have become increasingly involved in politics, medical legislation and insurance issues. In 1998, President Clinton signed into law a requirement of insurance companies to cover reconstructive breast surgeries for cancer survivors. And legislation currently is being considered to require insurers to cover craniofacial reconstructive surgeries for children. The Garcia Institute continually keeps up-to-the-minute on all the latest advancements and political issues affecting plastic surgery. Jacksonville patients can be assured they are in good hands when choosing the Garcia Institute.

Insurance companies typically cover reconstructive plastic surgeries that restore functionality and aesthetics lost to injury or disease. In some cases, insurance companies are required by state or federal law to cover specified procedures. For instance, Florida law requires insurance companies to cover cleft lip and cleft palate reconstructive plastic surgery for Jacksonville patients age 18 and younger. And a Congressional committee is deliberating the proposed Children’s Access to Reconstructive Evaluation and Surgery Act (CARES Act), which would require group an individual health insurance plans cover treatment of congenital or developmental deformity or disorder caused by trauma, infection, tumor or disease in minor children nationwide.

However, most laws mandating coverage of reconstructive plastic surgery in Jacksonville and elsewhere affect only minors. So, coverage of adult reconstructive procedures depends entirely on the individual’s insurance plan and unique circumstances.

No insurance company will cover what is often called “vanity-driven” cosmetic plastic surgery. Jacksonville patients and others nationwide are responsible for paying for surgical procedures performed simply to improve the aesthetics of the face. Cosmetic surgery is proven to help boost a patient’s self-esteem and almost invariably encourages patients to take better care of their health. Patients often report that their newfound confidence and a determination to prolong the positive results of their procedures encourages them to exercise more, eat and drink healthier and relax, all leading to improved emotional, mental and physical health. However, such procedures certainly are not “medically necessary,” so insurance companies will not cover them.

There do exist some “gray areas” when it comes to insurance coverage of plastic surgery. Jacksonville patients undergoing procedures that can be considered both reconstructive and cosmetic sometimes get a break on payment. For instance, a blepharoplasty procedure (eyelid surgery) that addresses a severely hooded eyelid that partially obscures a patient’s vision certainly will improve the aesthetics of a patient’s face, but can also improve his or her vision. So, an insurance company may cover a portion of the cost. A rhinoplasty (nose job) procedure that repairs a deviated septum also can address both functional and aesthetic issues. So, the portion of the surgery that improves a patient’s breathing may covered, whereas the portion that corrects cosmetic issues will not be covered.

No reputable surgeon or firm will attempt to help you get coverage for a strictly cosmetic plastic surgery – Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute included. However, we will work diligently with you and your insurance company to get coverage of reconstructive procedures that may qualify. We also accept major credit cards and work with financing companies including CareCredit and CapitalOne Healthcare Finance.

Actually, the “plastic” in plastic surgery doesn’t refer to artificiality at all. Instead, the term is derived from the Greek word “plastikos,” which means to mold or give form – which is exactly that plastic surgeons do for patients’ faces and bodies. The term comes from the practice of the earliest known plastic surgeons developing skin flaps to close wounds or replace tissue lost to injuries or skin-deforming diseases such as skin cancer in an effort to restore the patient’s original appearance. Archaeological and written evidence suggests medical treatments for facial injuries were performed more than 4,000 years ago, and in ancient India, physicians are known to have performed skin graft procedures as early as 800 B.C.

An important distinction to keep in mind is the difference between cosmetic plastic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery. Jacksonville-area plastic surgeons use the same definitions of the two adopted by the American Medical Association and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons:

• Reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body, caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease. It is generally performed to improve function, but may also be done to approximate a normal appearance.

• Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve the patient’s appearance and self-esteem.

At Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, Jacksonville patients can be assured that our goal is to give you a natural-looking change or enhancement to your look that will boost your confidence and self esteem. We carefully counsel each patient to make sure expectations are realistic and the results are beautiful. Often, this means a change in a patient’s approach to plastic surgery.

Jacksonville patients undergoing reconstructive plastic surgery get the same treatment in terms of efforts to achieve a natural look. However, depending on the severity of the injury or deformation, a fully natural appearance may not be possible. Reconstructive plastic surgery in Jacksonville and beyond is performed for two primary reasons – to restore lost functionality (your ability to smile, open or close your eyes and speak clearly) and to restore your face’s aesthetic form.

When considering reconstructive plastic surgery or cosmetic plastic surgery, Jacksonville patients should be fully aware of the reasons behind each type and the possible outcomes for each. Also keep in mind that while many reconstructive surgeries are covered by insurance, most cosmetic surgeries are not. Some gray areas do exist. For instance, eyelid surgery that improves your look also may improve your sight by removing overhanging tissue that blocks your vision. To find out more about cosmetic or reconstructive plastic surgery, contact Garcia Institute at (904) 247-8522 to set an appointment for your consultation.

The face is among the most commonly injured parts of the body, and the most challenging to treat. Injuries to facial bones including the jaw, eye socket or cheek bone, as well as severe facial scarring may interfere with the movement and function of the victim’s mouth or eyes. And any soft tissue injury, facial bone fracture or skin cancer surgery can result in significant cosmetic deformity to the face.

When considering facial reconstructive surgery, it’s important to understand the two primary reasons that a plastic surgeon performs reconstructive surgeries. The overarching reason is to address issues of lost functionality. We want to restore your ability to smile, open or close your eyes, speak clearly – all examples of functions that facial injuries can inhibit. The second reason is to restore your face’s aesthetic form, and therefore your confidence. Please understand that while a skilled reconstructive surgeon can improve your face’s function and form, complete and perfect restoration to your face’s original appearance rarely is possible.

For reconstructive surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute offers outpatient treatment, often without the use of sedation or general anesthesia required. For more severe cases requiring general or sedation anesthesia, such as facial fractures, large facial traumas or traumas in children, we can perform facial reconstructive surgery in a local hospital or at our outpatient surgery center or our state-of-the-art Jacksonville surgical suite accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. Recovery from reconstructive surgery typically takes about a week and our reconstructive surgeons follow patients for a year after their surgeries.

If a facial injury has cost you facial functions or robbed you of your beauty, contact the Garcia Institute today. Our highly skilled reconstructive surgeons can help restore your face’s function and your confidence. Call our Neptune Beach office at 904-247-8522 or contact us via our convenient online email form.