He is 93 years old, had triple bypass surgery 14 years ago. This is a recurrence of the skin cancer, but it is now in his skull bone. Doctor wants to do surgery, but I'm concerned about the recovery and the stories I hear about loss of memory after anesthesia.
Talk to your Dad's Dermatologist, as treatment can be as simple as Cryotherapy, electodessication, excission, topical chemotherapy or laser, more likely MOHS surgery that is usually done in the Dermatologists office under local anesthetic and the most widely used treatment option, to the more extensive excision with skin graph or mesh closures. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy would be necessary for extensive, invasive lesions, so it would be up to the Dermatologist to determine how to go about treatment, with the best possible outcome for cure and good healing, but how your Dad would do with the particular treatment, would be dependant on his age, his health, and his physical ability to handle the possible anesthesia necessary to treat it.
It's a big decision, that needs to be discussed at length, to make the most informed decision, and every patient and every situation is different. My guess, that at 93, the least invasive treatment would be best, if only to control the spread of the lesions.
If the cancer has spread to the bone I expect it is pretty advanced, would there need to be treatment beyond the surgery?
How much time would he need to be under anesthesia?
If we choose no surgery are there other options?
How quickly might it spread, and how painful is it likely to be?
and
Does your father want to do the surgery?
Does your dad still have the capacity to make his own medical decisions? If so, you have to let him do what he chooses. My FIL was actively dying from leukemia and wanted a skin cancer removed from his forehead. The derm dr was shocked that he wanted aggressive treatment. But he had the surgery. It healed about the time he died.
If you are making his medical decisions. then I would talk to the Dr and ask about weighing out the long term vs short term benefits. I wasn't in charge of FIL, and I would never have OKed a surgery like he had.
That sounds like a brutal surgery and a not pleasant recovery. At some point in our lives, we all have to decide how much "more" we're willing to do. 93? He's had a good long life.
Best wishes-whatever you decide.