After having a skin check you may require or opt to have a skin lesion to be removed to improve cosmetic appearance, facilitate a diagnosis of the lesion, relieve discomfort associated with a lesion or remove an inflamed or frequently infected cyst.

During your consultation the GP will explain the excision to you and ask you to sign a consent form. Please tell the doctor if you are taking any medication (particularly aspirin, clopidogrel, dabigatran, warfarin) including over the counter medication or supplements as these may cause abnormal bleeding.

The most common type of excision is an elliptical excision. The ellipse is designed so that the resulting scar runs parallel with existing skin creases to make it less noticeable to the eye. A local anaesthetic injection will be administered to numb the area of skin involved. The lesion is then removed using a scalpel and sent to the laboratory to be examined under a microscope. The wound is closed using sutures and a dressing applied to keep the site clean and free from infection. A report on the skin lesion is provided to the GP to discuss at your follow up appointment and sutures are removed after 7-10 days.