EXCISION
If our experienced Skin Cancer Doctors find a Skin Cancer, they may want to perform an excision.
This technique involves removing a skin lesion in the deeper levels of the skin down to the fatty layer under the skin. A small amount of normal tissue surrounding the lesion may be removed to ensure it is clear of any possible cancer cells (clear margins).
At Skin Scan we perform excisions with the Ellman Surgitron RF device. This allows for greater precision and helps to coagulate tissue to cause less bleeding.
Our experienced and specialised Skin Cancer Doctors also perform more advanced removal methods for lesions that are of greater size and complexity. These methods include skin flaps and skin grafts.
DIRECT SKIN CLOSURE EXCISION
In this excision the lesion and a border of healthy surrounding tissue will be removed to ensure all of the cancer cells have been removed. Following this the wound will be closed with stitches. These may be purely internal (dissolvable), external (non dissolvable) or a combination of both. The sutures you require will depend on the size of the lesion, the quality of skin and where it is on the body.
SKIN FLAP
In this excision the lesion and a border of healthy surrounding tissue will be removed to ensure all of the cancer cells have been removed. When excising a large lesion, there may be the need for more skin to cover the remaining deficit. A skin flap is healthy skin that is partially detached from its original site and moved and sutured to cover a nearby wound.
SKIN GRAFT
In this excision the lesion and a border of healthy surrounding tissue will be removed to ensure all of the cancer cells have been removed. When excising a large lesion, there may be the need for more skin to cover the remaining deficit. Skin grafts are usefully when treating larger, deeper and more serious wounds. A skin graft involves the surgical removal of healthy tissue from a different area of skin referred to as the donor site. This wound is stitched closed. The healthy tissue from the donor site is then stitched onto where the lesion has been removed to close the deficit in the skin. This type of excisions means there is 2 surgical wounds following the procedure.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Prior to treatment you will have a full consultation with your skin cancer doctor, at this time your medical history, allergies and any other risks will be discussed.
On the day of treatment depending on the size of the lesion you may need to remove the clothes in that area. The skin will be cleaned and an injection of local anaesthesia will be put into the area. This can have a strong stinging sensation for a few seconds but works quickly, and following this the procedure will be painless.
The excision will be completed, including any further treatment for skin closure (eg. skin flap or graft). The wound will be closed with sutures and a bandage will be put in place. You will be given instructions for aftercare and check up appointments.
