Melanoma Surgery Boise: Advanced Skin Cancer Care

When facing a skin cancer diagnosis, the precision of your initial treatment is critical. While many practitioners remove minor skin lesions, complex cases and invasive skin cancers require a specialized approach to ensure the disease is fully eradicated while preserving your quality of life.

The Surgical Oncology Advantage

As a fellowship-trained Surgical Oncologist, Dr. Stockton’s focus goes beyond simply removing a tumor. She specializes in the comprehensive management of complex skin cancers located on the trunk and extremities—including melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and high-risk squamous or basal cell carcinomas. Patients requiring complex excisions on the face or scalp are seamlessly coordinated with specialized Head and Neck or Mohs surgeons to ensure optimal cosmetic outcomes.

Choosing a surgical oncologist means you are getting an expert in tumor biology, complex lymphatic mapping, and advanced surgical techniques. Dr. Stockton provides direct, definitive surgical interventions and coordinates closely with medical oncologists and dermatologists. For high-risk cases, this includes integrating advanced systemic treatments like immunotherapy and targeted therapies (such as BRAF inhibitors) to ensure you receive the most effective, up-to-date care available in the region.

Surgical Services

  • Wide Local Excision: The foundation of treating invasive skin cancer is completely removing the primary tumor with a “margin” of healthy tissue around it. The size of this margin is carefully calculated based on the specific pathology and depth of your cancer to minimize the risk of recurrence.
  • Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB): For melanomas that have grown beyond the surface of the skin, Dr. Stockton utilizes advanced mapping to find the “sentinel” nodes—the first lymph nodes to which a tumor drains. Because melanoma on certain parts of the body can map to multiple different nodal basins (e.g., draining to both the armpit and the neck), multiple biopsies may be required. Note: Because the sequence of visiting Nuclear Medicine and the Pre-Op department is specific to Saint Alphonsus protocols, Dr. Stockton’s team provides a customized, day-of-surgery itinerary for every patient.
  • Complete Lymph Node Dissections: If a sentinel lymph node biopsy reveals cancer, or if you have enlarged lymph nodes that are positive for disease before surgery, a more extensive procedure is sometimes required. Dr. Stockton performs meticulous removals of affected nodal basins (such as in the neck, axilla/underarm, or groin/inguinal region) to achieve regional control of the disease.
  • Reconstructive Surgery & Skin Grafts: Removing a skin cancer effectively sometimes leaves a defect that cannot be closed simply by stitching the edges together. In these situations, Dr. Stockton utilizes specialized techniques, including local tissue flaps and skin grafts, to close the surgical site, promote optimal healing, and prioritize the best possible functional outcome.

Consultations & Referrals

Whether you are a patient seeking specialized melanoma surgery or a dermatologist referring a high-risk skin cancer case, our team ensures a seamless scheduling process. Contact our Boise or Nampa clinics at (208) 302-2300 to schedule a surgical consultation with Dr. Stockton.