Our board-certified dermatologists use surgical excision to treat skin cancer in Westerville and Gahanna
What is Surgical Excision, or Excision Surgery?
Have you recently been recommended surgical excision for a skin concern? This treatment option is an effective method dermatologists use to address skin concerns like skin cancer, suspicious moles, uncomfortable lesions, and other benign growths.
Contact our board-certified dermatologists at the Center for Surgical Dermatology to see if surgical excision is the right treatment to restore the health of their skin.
Surgical excision is a procedure that removes various skin concerns through the process of cutting away the affected area, as well as the healthy tissue surrounding it, which is known as the margin. The removal of the margin is to ensure all cancer cells are eliminated, which may have spread into the surrounding tissue.
At the Center for Surgical Dermatology, our board-certified dermatologists often recommend excision surgery for more aggressive types of skin cancer, such as melanoma.
Additionally, surgical excision is also used for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Currently, surgical excision offers a cure rate of about 95% for early BCCs. It’s also the recommended treatment for small, early SCCs that have not spread.
Surgical Excision FAQs
Learn more about surgical excision by reading our answers to commonly asked questions regarding excision surgery below, and make sure to contact us for your annual skin cancer screening.
The excision surgery itself should not be painful, as your doctor will likely numb the area with local anesthesia before the procedure. However, you may experience some swelling, soreness, or pain following the procedure. Your doctor may recommend icing the area and taking pain medication to minimize any discomfort you may have.
If you have any additional questions about what you may experience following an excision surgery, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
The most common symptom of eczema is itchiness. However, it can also show up as:
To learn more about the types of skin conditions we treat with excision surgery in Westerville, OH, please get in touch with one of our board-certified dermatologists.
Our dermatologists find that most excision wounds heal in about one to three weeks following the procedure. If a skin graft or flap was required to close the wound, the healing process may take up to two months to completely heal.
At the Center for Surgical Dermatology, our dermatologists offer surgical excision as a removal treatment option for those with very large keloids or an older keloid scar.
However, nearly half of those who have their keloids removed surgically find they return. Therefore, surgical removal may need to be combined with some of the other treatments below to optimize results. Learn more about keloids and additional treatment options here.
Yes, surgical excision often leaves a scar, which is typically the size of the incision. Before your procedure, talk to your doctor about how the scar may look and how to care for your incision after the procedure to minimize scarring.
Surgical Excision Photos
Interested to see how surgical excision may look or how your scar may appear following the procedure? View the surgical excision photos below to get a better understanding of the procedure and how it may impact your skin.
Contact the Center for Surgical Dermatology about Surgical Excision
If you’re looking for a board-certified dermatologist experienced in excision surgery, the Center for Surgical Dermatology offers professional skin cancer diagnosis and effective treatment options, including surgical excision, at our comfortable and state-of-the-art clinics in Ohio. To learn more about surgical excision in Westerville, request an appointment online or give us a call at (614) 847-4100. We’re here to help determine which treatment is right for you!
Have questions or concerns? Please give us a call at 614.847.4100.