How much will all this cost?

It’s tough to say at this point.  We’ve had several conversations by phone with the surgeon we plan on working with and have some ballpark numbers, but he can’t be too specific without seeing Anikka in person.  Futhermore, the number of operations needed to remove the nevus completely and fix any facial deformations might vary.

That said, we estimate that the total cost will be in the $20-30,000 range when everything is complete.  There are a few assumptions we’ve made in coming up with that number:

• That we won’t be able to find someone as qualified to perform the operations closer to home and, therefore, will have to travel to New York for each consultation and procedure.
• There will be 3-4 trips to New York, each lasting several days.
• The excision will require 2-3 operations before completion.  It’s likely that we’ll require two operations to remove the excisioin completely.  Considering the proximity of the nevus to her mouth, nose, and eye, at least one other operation is likely to ensure that her facial features aren’t misshapen afterward.

We hope to schedule an appointment for a face-to-face consultation in New York sometime in the early spring.  We suspect that these numbers will change significantly as we progress through the procedures and that we’ll be able to narrow down the estimated range into a most precise number.