Surgical removal of skin lesions
- Description of the treatment
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The Derm-Al Centre offers surgical removal of skin lesions for medical, preventive and aesthetic reasons.
Skin lesions that qualify for surgical removal include:
- pigmented lesions (so-called “moles”)
- precancerous lesions and skin cancers
- lipomas
- fibromas
- viral warts (normal, flat)
- sex organ warts (genital warts)
- sebaceous warts
- sebaceous cysts
- keloidal scars
- xanthelasma
Certain skin lesions may require other than traditional surgical removal methods, such as wart cryosurgery (freezing) or fibromas radiosurgery or electrocoagulation. Skin lesions requiring histopathology need to be surgically removed. This type of lesions include pigmented lesions.
Pigmented lesions, popularly known as “moles”, are very common, especially in the white race. Some people have many lesions and their number may increase with age. Usually, the tendency to develop moles is genetically inherited. In the case of some lesions, benign lesion structures may develop into cancerous structures (malignant tumour - melanoma). The risk of skin lesions developing into tumour increases as the skin ages and also due to too much exposure to solar irradiance and direct exposure to chemicals (e.g. herbicides, fungicides, petroleum derivatives, arsenic, hydrocarbon), smoking or chronic skin irritation. Thus, it is very important that lesions are regularly controlled, by the patient and also by the dermatologist.
The Derm-Al Cetrne has an advanced video dermatoscope for detailed examination of lesions, magnified on the monitor, computer analysis of their malignity as well as for storing test results and comparing changes between respective tests, and, thanks to macro imaging of the surface of the skin - for quick detection of new lesions.
The best way to prevent skin lesions (precancerous condition) developing into the malignant condition is to remove them.
Indications for lesion removal:- it has nonsymmetrical, uneven or irregular edges,
- it is dark or has several different colours,
- it is more than 6 mm in diameter,
- a new lesion appears,
- its appearance, structure or size change,
- it itches or bleeds.
How does the procedure work?
At the Derm-Al Centre, pigmented lesions and larger skin lesions that require stitches are removed by a general surgeon or plastic surgeon. Surgery is performed in local anaesthesia, with Lignocaina 1% or 2% injection, and it is entirely painless. Depending on the size and depth of a lesion, the surgeon applies the required type and number of surgical stitches, and wound dressing. The patient is told when the dressing needs to be changed or removed and when the stitches need to be removed, and is given any other relevant instructions, The patient may return home immediately after the procedure. Each lesion that is removed is subject to histopathology.
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Krzysztof Orłowski,
medical doctor
Elżbieta Bednarczyk,
medical doctor