Excisions
Medical Procedures
/
/
About excisions
Excisions are performed when you have an atypical/dysplastic mole or skin cancer that needs to be removed. We must not only take the whole lesion, but we must also take a safety margin of tissue around the lesion to make sure every microscopic cell is removed.
If you have any new or changing moles in adulthood, be sure to get them examined by a Board-certified dermatologist. Schedule an appointment with Steele Dermatology online or give us a call at (770) 464-6000.
The area, including the safety margin, is numbed with lidocaine injections. Once the lesion is removed, it must be sent to the pathologist to make sure the “margins are clear”. If a lesion is not cancerous or pre-cancerous, like a cyst or a lipoma, then the lesion is removed without taking any extra tissue. The lesion is still sent to the pathologist for an accurate diagnosis.
After excisions are performed, you will have stitches so you’ll want to make sure that the wound is without strain or tension. We advise you to avoid strenuous exercise, heavy lifting, or other strain on the wound while you have stitches (up to 2 weeks). You will have a bandage that should stay in place until your stitches are removed. You will not need to remove and replace the bandage daily. You may shower like normal after the excision.
Once a lesion is completely removed, there shouldn’t be any long term maintenance.