When the amount of tissue (skin) that is required to be removed cannot be simply sutured(stitched) together, repair with skin imported from elsewhere on the patient is required. Flap repairs use immediately adjacent skin which is moved into the defect whilst maintaining a blood supply to that flap.

Alternately, skin grafts can be harvested from distant sites (eg around the ear or neck) and secured into the tumour excision defect. These grafts have to develop a new blood supply from the base and edges of the defect into which they are placed.