Ed is a 58-year-old father and grandfather who owns his own business, enjoys riding motorcycles and being outdoors. Unfortunately, for the past ten years Ed has been battling skin and lip cancer. Up until recently, Ed smoked cigarettes but has since quit in an effort to improve his health.
In 2005, Ed first came to see New Jersey plastic surgeon, Dr. Paul M. Parker, who works with Ed’s dermatologist. Ed’s most recent surgery was his second major procedure, and he hopes he never has to go through this again.
“I knew that this surgery was going to be very invasive. The dermatologist told me they were going to be very aggressive in the amount they removed. I was more anxious about it than words can describe. The dermatologist did the surgery on Thursday. Immediately after that, Dr. Parker took a look at what had been removed and started planning for my reconstruction surgery the very next day,” Ed explained.
Ed had his bottom lip removed entirely. He had seen what the dermatologist had done, but he was confident that Dr. Parker could reconstruct his lower lip. On Friday morning, Ed showed up for his reconstruction surgery with Dr. Parker.
“Everyone at the Parker Center is great. Having met with them several times over the years, I can tell you that the people there treat their patients very well. Dr. Parker did a wonderful job on my reconstruction. I never thought it would look this good,” said Ed.
Since Ed’s been dealing with skin cancer for the better part of ten years, most of his family, friends, and good customers knew that he was having a major procedure done. Ed was pleasantly surprised when one of his good customers saw him a few weeks after the procedure and asked him when it would be done. Ed’s results were so good that the customer couldn’t even tell he had already had his reconstruction surgery. Ed knew Dr. Parker was the reason.
Lip cancer in its early stages has no symptoms. If there is a symptom, it’s most commonly a sore on the lip that won’t heal. Most develop on the lower lip and can potentially be cured by surgery or radiation therapy in the early stages or both in later stages.
Dr. Parker treats patients with skin lesions, skin cancers and reconstructs defects created by Mohs surgery in New Jersey. Plastic surgery techniques he utilizes allow for reconstruction that offers less noticeable scarring.
These procedures are performed by Dr. Parker in the Parker Center for Plastic Surgery’s on-site, fully certified ambulatory surgery center, Surgiplex, LLC. Surgiplex, LLC was designed with patient safety and comfort as a priority. Dr. Parker and his team of board certified anesthesiologists and registered nurses work together to provide our patients with the highest level of safety and care during their plastic surgery. New Jersey is home to this facility for patients seeking treatment by Dr. Parker.
Ed was surprised at how good his lip looked just a few days after surgery. Every day the swelling subsided more and more, and he checked in with Dr. Parker weekly for a follow-up and photo. After three weeks and Dr. Parker’s approval, Ed took a three-week motorcycle trip to Florida and toured around the South.
“I can’t say enough about Dr. Parker and the people who work with him. They’re wonderful, and they’ve been wonderful to me. I would recommend the Parker Center in a heartbeat without any hesitation. They’ve really treated me well,” Ed said.
Dr. Parker believes strongly in skin cancer education, prevention, and care. He advises his patients to see a dermatologist annually for a complete check as skin cancer rates are on the rise in the U.S. If you are interested in seeing Dr. Parker for a skin cancer evaluation or any other type of plastic surgery procedure visit our website at www.parkercenter.net or call 201-967-1212 to make an appointment.
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