Brave and he nose it
Tony, 79, lets cameras roll as he gets reconstruction ops after skin cancer
Demonstrators in Dublin yesterday Skin specialists in James’s Hospital Margaret Cash, centre, and daughter Rebecca live in a bedsit micrographic surgeon, Dr Rupert Barry, the disease has spread proved founded when he probed the area and checked another sample under the microscope for evidence it had spread. Dr Barry added: “The skin cancer is quite a typical basal cell carcinoma. “The main area we removed was clear but we needed to extend the cut to the area on the underside of the nose.” Tony said: “It’s the repair job that will determine how I look afterwards and as it’s on my nose it’s on a very prominent place on your face.”
MUSCLE
The flap of skin and muscle had to stay connected to Tony’s forehead for four weeks in the hope the blood supply will keep the reconstruction alive. Dr Barry added: “This is all muscle and it has a very good blood supply.”
As the surgeon cuts around the skin the pensioner said: “It sounds like getting a haircut.” The dermatologist added: “Yeah, with a few extras.
However, the stoic Dubliner was shaken after the procedure but managed to stay good-humoured.
“Oh boy”, he says looking in a mirror, “That should be good for a bit of sympathy.” It was probably tougher than I expected. I knew the repair job would be a lot more difficult than the actual operation.”
Four weeks later, he returned to have a piece of the forehead flap cut to form a nose. Tony said: “I’m anxious to get it done so I can lead a more normal life again.”
Looking in the mirror at the end of all his surgeries, the pensioner jokes: “Ah yeah, you’re looking good, Tony, I can wear the glasses again.”
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland with over 11,000 new cases diagnosed in 2015 – the National Cancer Registry of Ireland expects this to double by 2040.
Inside James’s airs on Virgin Media One on Thursday at 10pm.
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It was probably tougher than I expected.. I knew the repair job would be more difficult TONY MURRAY ON RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY ON HIS FACE
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