Excision of Skin Lesions
Subcutaneous lesions and lumps on the skin such as moles, warts and skin tags can form in any part of the body such as head, neck, shoulders and back. These can be removed with chemicals or surgery.
Excision of skin lesions can be done in various ways, depending on the size and location of the lesion. These surgeries are performed under local anaesthesia. Some of the different methods your surgeon may use to remove skin lesions are:
- Shaving the lesion to the level of your skin using a surgical blade or laser
- Using surgical scissors to cut off lesions from the skin
- Complete excision of certain lesions that may lead to cancer though an incision in the skin. The skin is sutured after the removal.
- Using liquid nitrogen to freeze the lesions
- Photodynamic therapy, in which a chemical is applied onto your skin and a beam of light is allowed to fall on it, activating the chemical to destroy the lesion
Your wound may be dressed or left open after the surgery based on the type of the surgery.
Like all invasive procedures, excision of skin and subcutaneous lesions may be associated with side effects such as pain, swelling, scarring, infections, changes in skin sensation, excessive bleeding and allergic reactions to the anaesthetic.