WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: What do I need to know about excision of a skin lesion? Excision of a skin lesion is surgery to remove a piece of skin tissue. The skin tissue may be malignant (skin cancer) or it may be benign. Benign means the skin tissue does not have cancer cells and cannot spread. How do I prepare for excision of a skin lesion? Your healthcare provider will talk to you about how to prepare for surgery. He may tell you not to eat or drink anything after midnight on the day of your surgery. He will tell you what medicines to take or not take on the day of your surgery. You may be given an antibiotic through your IV to help prevent a bacterial infection. What will happen during excision of a skin lesion? You will be given local anesthesia to numb the surgery area. With local anesthesia, you may still feel pressure or pushing during surgery, but you should not feel any sharp pain. Your healthcare provider will mark the area of your skin that will be removed. He will make an incision on the marked area. He will remove the outer layer of your skin. He may also remove deeper layers of tissue underneath your skin. He may use heat to stop any bleeding. He will close the incision with stitches, staples, tissue glue, or medical tape. He may cover your incision with a bandage. Your healthcare provider may send samples of your tissue to the lab for tests. What will happen after excision of a skin lesion? Your stitches will need to be removed after a period of time. The amount of time depends on the part of the body where the surgery was done. Stitches on the face will be removed within 5 to 7 days. Stitches on the trunk of your body will be removed within 7 to 10 days. Stitches on your arms or legs will be removed within 10 to 14 days. Medical tape usually falls off on its own in about 7 to 10 days. What are the risks of excision of a skin lesion? You may bleed more than expected or get an infection. You may lose feeling, or you may feel tingling or prickling in the surgery area. Your scar may not look the way you expected. It may also limit your movement or affect your expressions if you had surgery on your face. |