title: Cutaneous oncologic and cosmetic surgery in geriatric patients.
abstract: A wide array of surgical procedures is available to geriatric patients. These interventions can enhance the appearance of patients and facilitate the removal of skin cancers. Pre-existing medical conditions of geriatric patients must be considered comprehensively when selecting and performing cutaneous surgical procedures. Many older patients suffer from a variety of diseases and take a variety of medications and herbal supplements to ameliorate the consequences of such diseases. In general, skin surgery can be performed safely on even very old patients, provided precautions are followed. The biopsychosocial well-being and essence of patients must also be addressed when performing dermatologic surgery. If patients are treated holistically and comprehensively, their surgical experience can be enhanced and their health and appearance improved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, 1090 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 11-D, New York, NY 10025, USA.
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scheinfeld
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Sirunya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silapunt
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Murad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alam
mesh_terms: D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*