Patients prefer to have a benign lesion removed for different reasons. They may be worried about malignant transformation or the lesion may have become symptomatic as it catches or rubs on clothes. They could also just not like the way it looks on their skin. There are plenty of valid reasons for wanting a mole removal.
Moles or other benign skin lumps can be excised with minimal margins. The lesion is cut out as an ellipse, which ensures closure of the wound as a smooth flat scar, but it does require a longer than usual lesion (2 or 3 times). In rare instances, when the lesion is too big, the defect may need to be closed with a flap or graft.
A local flap rearranges tissue from the same area as the mole or lesion. A graft uses a thin piece of skin from another area of the body, which is transferred and used to reconstruct the defect.
Dr Safvat is a mole and skin lesion expert in Sydney and the Southern Highlands who has extensive experience with both local flaps and grafts. He strives to leave minimal scarring and cosmetic or functional deficit.
Excision of moles and lesions can be done by Dr Safvat at his Sydney clinic (Miranda). Alternatively, a day procedure at one of our accredited hospitals may be the better option.
Surgical excision of a mole will usually only require a local anaesthetic and sedation. It is a relatively quick procedure. Once the area has been cleaned and numbed, the growth will be removed. Thereafter, the incision is closed using sutures and covered with a dressing to prevent infection.
By removing the mole from deep within the skin, patients can enjoy permanent results. The excision technique is Dr Safvat’s preferred mole removal method because it’s ideal for both large and small moles. It can also be used to remove moles on any part of the body.
All moles and skin lesions will be sent off to pathology for testing. Dr Safvat will discuss your results with you at your post-operative appointment.