A dermatological excision is an operation that’s used to remove suspicious, unsightly or malignant skin growths. The excision is used to remove cysts, moles, skin cancers and lipomas, which are benign tumors made of fat. Besides the lesion, a bit of normal skin surrounding it is also removed. Cyst excisions and skin cancer excisions can both be done by your certified Austin dermatologist.
What is the timetable for Dermatological Excisions?
There is often little preparation for dermatological excisions. The procedure is done the day of the initial consultation by a dermatologist who’s experienced in excisions. The patient will need to have a medical history taken, however. After the surgery, the patient will need to take it easy for about a week to ten days in order for the surgical wound to heal properly.
How Should I Prepare for the Operation?
Dermatological excisions are done under a local anesthesia. The patient doesn’t have to fast the night before but should wash the morning of the operation and avoid taking pain or anti-anxiety medications. The patient should consult with his or her regular physician if he or she is on any other type of medication. Ideally, patients should have someone come with them and take them home and stay with them for a while.
What Happens During the Operation?
During the surgery, the surgeon removes an oval of skin then loosens the skin around it and closes it with both superficial and deep sutures. This results in a straight line of sutures that’s considerably longer than the area of skin that was removed. The surgeon might also use a skin flap to cover the wound, or a skin graft from another part of the patient’s body. Skin grafts take longer to heal, but scarring tends to be less. Sometimes, the surgeon doesn’t suture the surgical wound at all but lets the wound heal by itself. This takes even longer to heal than a skin graft, but the wound can heal very satisfactorily depending on the location. When the lesion is removed, it’s sent to a lab to be tested to see whether or not it’s benign, malignant or precancerous.
What to Expect Afterwards
Patients might experience a bit of pain after the surgery, though this can be controlled by over the counter pain medication. There might be bruising and swelling, but these go away after a few days. Infections and a lot of bleeding are unusual, but intermittent numbness is common. There will also be some scarring, especially if the lesion that was removed was cancerous.
