Minor skin surgery at Derma
Most skin surgery at Derma is minor surgery under local anaesthetic, carried out by your consultant in one of our treatment rooms. This page explains what happens before, during and after your surgery.
If you are having Mohs surgery, please see our Mohs surgery page. If you haven’t seen a consultant yet, read Your first appointment.
Patient leaflets
What to expect from your skin surgery – a one-page summary of this page to read or print before your appointment.
Caring for your wound – the booklet our nurses give you after your surgery. It explains how to look after your dressing and stitches, what is normal while the wound heals, and when to contact us.
Before your appointment
Please tell us before the day if you:
- are allergic to any medicines, dressings or plasters
- have a pacemaker, defibrillator or other implanted electrical device
- take a medicine that thins your blood, such as aspirin, warfarin, clopidogrel, apixaban or rivaroxaban.
Blood thinners
Keep taking your regular medicines, including blood thinners, unless your consultant tells you otherwise. Occasionally we may ask you to stop a blood thinner such as apixaban the night before; we will tell you if so.
If you take warfarin, we need an up-to-date INR result, taken within 48 hours of your surgery.
Eating and drinking
Have something to eat and drink before you come in.
On the day
Meeting your consultant
Your consultant will see you first to explain the surgery, why it is being done and its risks. All surgery leaves a scar, although your consultant will keep it as small and neat as possible. Risks common to all skin surgery are bleeding, bruising, swelling, redness and infection; your consultant will explain any others that apply to you.
You will then be asked to sign a consent form. You can ask questions at any time, and you can change your mind about going ahead at any point.
In the treatment room
You may be offered a gown, depending on where the surgery is. Your consultant will mark and clean the area and inject local anaesthetic. The injection can sting, but the skin goes numb within a minute. You stay awake throughout, although depending on the site you may not be able to see what is being done.
Types of minor skin surgery
Your consultant will choose the type of surgery that suits the reason for it.
Curettage and cautery
The lesion is scraped away and the base sealed with heat, usually two or three times. There are no stitches. It leaves a shallow, graze-like wound the size of the lesion, which usually takes two to three weeks to heal.
Shave excision
A raised lesion is shaved off level with the skin and the base sealed with heat. There are no stitches. More about shave excision.
Punch or incisional biopsy
A small sample of skin is taken for diagnosis, with a circular blade 2 to 8 mm across, or with a scalpel. The wound may be closed with one or two stitches, or often left to heal on its own. More about skin biopsy.
Excision
The most common type. The lesion is removed with a margin of normal skin and the wound stitched in a straight line. To stop the skin puckering, the piece removed is usually elliptical, so the scar is often longer than people expect. Stitches are either dissolvable or removed after 7 to 14 days, depending on the site. More about excision.
Flaps and grafts
If the wound is too large to close in a straight line, your consultant may move nearby skin to cover it (a flap) or use skin from another area (a graft).
After your surgery
- The nurse will dress the wound and give you our Caring for your wound booklet. If your stitches need removing, we will give you a date to come back, usually 7 to 14 days later.
- The area stays numb for a few hours, depending on how much anaesthetic was needed. Take care not to knock it during this time.
- If you need pain relief, take paracetamol. Swelling and bruising are worst in the first 48 hours, especially around the eyes, lower legs and arms, and then slowly settle.
- Rest for the first few days. How long you need to avoid heavy lifting and sport depends on where your surgery is, and can be up to six weeks. Your consultant will tell you what applies to you, so please follow their advice. Straining the wound can open it and affect how the scar looks.
The Caring for your wound booklet (PDF) explains how to look after your dressing and stitches, what is normal while the wound heals, and when to contact us.
Frequently asked questions
How long will it take?
Usually 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the surgery and how many areas are being treated. Your consultant will tell you if it is likely to take longer.
Can someone come in with me?
Usually one adult can sit with you, but please check with us beforehand. We can’t allow children under 16, or anyone who may need help themselves, into the treatment room.
My child is having surgery. Is there anything different?
Children are usually offered a numbing cream (EMLA) to put on the skin 40 to 60 minutes before the injection, under a clear dressing. If you weren’t given it in clinic, you can buy it from a pharmacy or collect it from us.
Can I drive home?
A local anaesthetic on its own doesn’t usually stop you driving, but you must be fit to drive. If your surgery is near your eye, or a dressing may get in the way of your vision, please bring someone to drive you home.
When will I get my results?
If tissue is sent to the laboratory, results usually take two to three weeks. We will contact you or discuss them at your follow-up.
How much does it cost?
Surgery is quoted at your consultation, once your consultant knows what is needed. As a guide, mole removal is in the region of £450 and cyst removal £650. See our price list.
Our consultants
Dr Charles Archer
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologySkin surgery
Special interests in skin cancer, lasers and complex medical dermatology.
Dr Chris Phillips
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologySkin surgery
Special interests in skin lesions, skin cancer surgery and male genital dermatology.
Dr Sanju Arianayagam
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologySkin surgery
Leads the specialist photosensitivity clinic in Oxford.
Dr Rima Clayton
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologyPaediatric dermatologySkin surgery
Founder of Derma Reading, seeing adults and children, with a particular interest in skin cancer and skin surgery.
Dr Rachel Fisher
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologySkin surgery
Specialist interests in skin cancer and vulval dermatology, and clinical lead for dermatology in Reading and West Berkshire.
Dr Sabrina Khan
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologySkin surgery
Specialist interest in vulval dermatology, and lead for the Oxford NHS vulval service.
Dr Inge Kreuser-Genis
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologyPaediatric dermatologySkin surgery
Specialist interests in paediatric and vulval dermatology.
Dr Rakesh Patalay
Consultant Dermatologist
Skin surgery
Specialises in skin cancer, Mohs surgery, laser treatment and cosmetic dermatology.
Mr Andy Pay
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Skin surgery
Specialises in skin cancer surgery, including melanoma, and reconstructive surgery.
Dr John Reed
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologySkin surgery
Specialist interest in urticaria, angioedema and allergy.
Dr Isabelle Vandormael
Consultant Dermatologist
General dermatologySkin surgery
Particular interest in lasers and cosmetic dermatology.
Questions
If you have any questions before your surgery, please call us on 0118 466 0935 or email admin@derma.co.uk. We are at Shepherds Hill, Woodley, Reading RG6 1FE, with free parking on site.