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Volume 29, Issue 156, February 2025

Factors of aesthetic satisfaction after surgical procedures on facial NMSCs - retrospective survey-based study

Filip Lachowski^1♦, Ewa Lachowska¹, Paulina Bernecka¹, Natalia Domańska¹, Agnieszka Pruska¹, Maria Krasnodębska¹, Julia Ogrodowczyk Vel Ogrodowicz¹, Aleksandra Łopotko¹, Judyta Czerniewicz¹, Piotr Pierzchała³, Urszula Muroń⁴, Patrycja Jabłonowska⁵, Magdalena Graczyk², Jerzy Jankau²

¹Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
²Plastic Surgery Department, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
³Wielospecjalistyczny Szpital Powiatowy S.A. im. Dr B Hagera w Tarnowskich Górach, Poland
⁴Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach, Katowice, Poland
5Uniwersytet Gdański, Wydział Zarządzania, Katedra Statystyki, Poland

^♦Corresponding Author
Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland

ABSTRACT

Nonmelanoma skin cancers are the most common malignant tumors. Among them mainly numerous are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. They are detected by physicians mostly at an early stage, and surgical excision is the main treatment method. Nowadays, when choosing a treatment technique, it pays great attention to the patient needs, appropriate communication, and care for their safety and comfort. In the case of facial skin cancers, the awareness of achieving a satisfactory aesthetic result becomes more important. In our retrospective study, we conducted telephone surveys from patients that undergo surgical NMSC treatment in our clinic, after meeting specific criteria, this group included 631 patients. The questionnaire included four questions related to aesthetic satisfaction. Respondents answered them on a scale of 1-10. The questions concerned overall aesthetic satisfaction, scar visibility, preserved facial symmetry, and willingness to recommend the clinic. In our study, we compared six criteria. Operator experience did not affect on patient satisfaction. Among the surgical methods, the highest satisfaction was related with performing primary closure and the lowest after using a split-thickness graft. Over time, we have noticed a trend of decreasing satisfaction. A higher number of hospitalizations translated into lower patient satisfaction. Using local anesthesia may result in greater patient satisfaction than general anesthesia. The size of the lesion is essential for the final aesthetic effect; most excellent satisfaction concerned small lesions below 10 mm, and the least satisfaction concerned large lesions measuring over 20 mm. Aesthetic satisfaction is currently developing in scientific publications and requires further research and observation.

Keywords: NMSC; aesthetic satisfaction; plastic surgery; survey; facial skin cancer