'Real Housewives' star Teddi Mellencamp recovering after 'wide excision melanoma' surgery
"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Teddi Mellencamp is on the mend after undergoing a procedure for her melanoma.
In an Instagram post Mellencamp shared on Wednesday, Mellencamp said "surgery went well" and that she "went through a wide excision [for] melanoma, soft tissue defect reconstruction with adjacent tissue rearrangement."
"Basically they cut out the area of [skin on] my shoulder and replaced it with a flap of skin from below my back," she said. "But the pain and discomfort are all worth it."
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, wide excision surgery is the recommended way to remove melanoma after it is diagnosed by a skin biopsy. A wide excision surgery cuts out the tumor, along with a small amount of surrounding healthy skin, called the margins. Removing the margins helps ensure that the entire tumor is removed and no cells are left behind.
The reality star shared a photo of her in bed and another image of the area where the incision would be prior to surgery.
She also shared a video post-surgery of herself in bed saying that she is "so grateful that they [doctors] did such a great job."
Mellencamp also shared some of her recovery process in her Instagram stories, including an image of the z-shaped scar after the surgery.
Mellencamp first opened up about being diagnosed with melanoma in 2022. At the time, she said that she had been "avoiding" getting checked for skin cancer "bc of my own anxiety for a very long time."
Mellencamp said it was her friend and fellow "Real Housewives" co-star Kyle Richards who urged her to get checked when she saw that a mole had changed colors. The reality star ended up undergoing a "big removal."
In September, Mellencamp shared in another Instagram post saying that during her three-month checkup, she had another spot on her skin biopsied, which turned out to be melanoma.
"I can't even remember if this is the 12th or 13th one," she said at the time alongside a photo of a spot on her back. Since the biopsy in September, Mellencamp has shared several updates about the wide excision surgery that followed, and how she was using immunotherapy cream on her shoulder before revealing the treatment didn't work.
Just before Christmas, she shared that doctors gave her the option to undergo surgery to "remove a larger portion of problematic area."
The National Cancer Institute estimates almost 100,000 new cases of melanoma just in 2023. It can occur in any skin type and color, and doctors recommend wearing sunscreen, avoiding excessive sun exposure. The American Cancer Society recommends regular self-exams, bringing any new skin concerns up at doctor's visits, and also having the doctor check areas of the skin that are hard to see.
Now, Mellencamp is urging others to get their skin checked.
"Remember this is why it's so important to get checked early," she told her followers in a video in her Instagram stories. "Go in for your appointments early, stay diligent because you can catch things very early."
"I promise you do not want to go through this," she added.
