Surgery Clinic of NELA Treats Skin Cancer Patient

Patient is Grateful for Dr. Patrick Smith’s Care

LIKE MANY SOUTHERN MOTHERS, KIM SPENCER SPENT years at the ballparks, watching her two sons play and compete. She dutifully wore sunscreen on her face and chest but didn’t apply it to her neck because that area wasn’t as exposed. Kim was diagnosed with invasive melanoma—on her neck—in 2022.

Before her diagnosis, Kim visited her dermatologist for an entirely different issue: a problem with her hands. When Kim stood up, her doctor looked at her neck and said: “You aren’t leaving here today with that spot.”

Kim was surprised. While she had noticed the spot, the area didn’t look suspicious because it wasn’t raised or dark in color. So, she didn’t think anything about it. The biopsy confirmed the spot was melanoma, and Kim was immediately referred to Dr. Patrick Smith, a surgeon at the Surgery Clinic of Northeast Louisiana. Kim’s appointment with Dr. Smith was just two days later.

Kim’s first experience was with Dr. Smith’s nurse, Kacie Brown, a registered nurse at the surgery clinic. Kim said Kacie was “very empathetic.” “I could just feel her empathy and how much she wanted to put me at ease. She was very sincere and reassured me that Dr. Smith would take care of me.”

Dr. Smith did precisely that. He sat with Kim and talked with her until he answered all of her questions. He was also very candid, which Kim appreciated.

Kim Spencer

“Dr. Smith was honest with me; he emphasized how time-sensitive the surgery was. And while the urgency component took me by surprise, his honesty made me feel really comfortable about the entire process. He explained his extensive experience with this procedure, how he would get all of the cancer, and ensure my margins were clear. He was also just very comforting.”

Dr. Smith performed Kim’s surgery in December 2022, and true to his word—he removed all of the cancer. Kim now has to be checked every four months for any other trouble areas that may arise. Kim feels fortunate—fortunate that her dermatologist detected the spot, that Dr. Smith took care of her, and her cancer-free diagnosis. She said: “I know God had a hand in all of this.”

Kim, a talent development consultant, urges others to take melanoma seriously. “I think we view melanoma less seriously than other cancers, and we shouldn’t. You hear about someone having skin cancer removed, and then they’re fine,” Kim said. “But the truth is, it could be aggressive, like mine. Everyone should be checked for skin cancer at least once a year. I feel truly blessed to have such a positive outcome.”

The Surgery Clinic of Northeast Louisiana, home of Delta Vein Care, houses surgeons Dr. Patrick Smith, Dr. Walter Sartor, Dr. Bart Liles, and Dr. Mohammed Bakeer.