The Harbor Plastic Surgery Center at the Milgard Medical Pavillion next to St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor will concentrate on the most common cancer — skin cancer.
“Skin cancer is on the rise, but now there are better detection methods,” Dr. Justin Piasecki said. “There have been 1.3 million cases diagnosed this year.”
Although he performs cosmetic surgery, 85 percent of his practice specializes in removing skin cancer using the Mohs technique.
“It’s named after a general surgeon at the University of Wisconsin, Fred Mohs, who perfected the technique,” Piasecki said. “It involves surgically removing skin in layers within microscopic margins.”
Piasecki said the method has a 99.2 percent cure rate, compared with 85 to 90 percent cure rates with other methods.
Although the majority of dermatologists practice the Mohs technique, Piasecki is one of seven plastic surgeons in the world who use the practice. That eliminates the need for patients scarred by skin cancer removal from having to see two different specialists, he said.
Piasecki’s wife, Jill, who acts as administrator for the center, said the time frame between skin cancer removal with a dermatologist and aesthetic surgery with a plastic surgeon is usually about two weeks.
“Most skin cancer is on the face, which is a cosmetically sensitive area,” Piasecki said. “People care about how they look.
“Most dermatologists do simple repairs, but if it’s complex, they send you to a plastic surgeon. Meanwhile, you end up with a hole in your face, waiting around to see someone.”
Before they have skin cancer surgery, most patients have a few questions, Piasecki said: How are they going to look? Will it hurt? Will the cancer come back?
Patients also are worried about cost, he said.
In this case, all procedures are done in the office, and patients don’t need referrals to additional specialists.
“This is one of the few instances in medicine where the gold standard in care is the most cost-effective,” Piasecki said. “This is a dramatic cost saving to the health care system.”
“Insurance companies love us,” Jill Piasecki added. “If they have to use a dermatologist and a plastic surgeon, they’re paying out at a much higher rate.”
The Piaseckis moved to Gig Harbor about a year ago. For the past year, Piasecki shared space with Peninsula Dermatology, but he planned to branch out on his own.
“We moved here just as St. Anthony Hospital was being built,” he said. “I knew at some point it’s going to be the medical address of this region.”
The family said they were attracted to Gig Harbor’s excellent schools and access to the water. Piasecki was once a member of a national kayaking team and was ranked as the No. 4 sprint kayaker in the world.
Piasecki said there’s an advantage to being attached to the hospital’s cancer center.
“Everyone is just a step away,” he said. “I came here to set up the best care for patients. It’s convenient and local. I can get rid of the cancer and put you back together again all in one setting.”
Besides the Piaseckis, the office will house a patient coordinator, lab technician and registered nurse. The center has west-facing windows that look out over Gig Harbor’s tree-lined horizon.
Patient appointments will be limited to five or six a day.
Piasecki said the center’s goal is to make people feel comfortable and cure cancer in a setting that maximizes convenience and minimizes discomfort.
The Harbor Plastic Surgery Center in Gig Harbor is accepting new patients. To make an appointment, call 253-858-5040.
Print
E-Mail