Dermatologic Surgery

Cryosurgery (liquid nitrogen) is commonly used to treat warts, precancerous lesions, and occasionally skin cancers. The successful elimination of these lesions is a result of the freezing temperature that destroys tissue. This modality can also be used to remove many types of benign lesions for cosmetic reasons.

Cryosurgery is highly effective and offers a low risk of infection with minimal downtime. It can be done in just one office visit and there is very little aftercare required.

If you have cryotherapy in our office, please see these guidelines for wound care after cryosurgery.

Electrosurgery is a frequently used form of surgery for removing benign and malignant lesions. The tissue is destroyed from the heat generated by an electrosurgical apparatus. The device is able to cut, dry, and form blood clots before it destroys and removes tissue.

Because this procedure has so many benefits and a wide variety of skin conditions respond well to it, electrosurgery is used quite often by dermatologic surgeons. Electrosurgery is commonly used to treat moles, warts, skin tags, acne, and scars.

Excisional surgery is used to remove benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) lesions such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma, when indicated. This procedure allows for microscopic analysis of the tissue.

Excisional surgery is performed under local anesthesia in about 30 minutes. The surgeon will cut around the lesion, removing it, along with surrounding skin. The wound typically heals within one to two weeks and leaves minimal scarring. The cure rate for this surgery is high because the surgeon ensures that all cancer cells have been removed by examining the skin under a microscope.

If you have a lesion excised in our office, please see these guidelines for wound care after excisional surgery.