Dermatology is the thorough profession that treats the skin in the cosmetic and health segments. However, some changes on the skin can be treated only by surgical procedures, which is why the surgical discipline is inevitably involved in the treatment of various skin diseases.
Dermatosurgery, or the surgical removal of skin growths, is simple and leaves minimal scarring. The advantage of this approach is that the surgically removed skin change, if necessary, can be microscopically analyzed to determine its character and set the correct diagnosis with certainty.
“Small surgical procedures,” is a phrase that doctors use to describe the small-scale, shallow operations of shorter duration, which are typically performed on an outpatient under a local anesthesia. This group includes the corrections of scars, some subcutaneous changes and skin growths, as well as tattoo removal.
Different growths – different approaches
Regardless of the age, different growths can occur on the skin, most of which are of benign character (benign). Unfortunately, some may be malignant (cancerous). It is important to note that the medical vocabulary calls every bump, benign or malignant, a tumor, and therefore, when the doctor uses the term “tumor”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s cancerous.
The skin changes that are surgically removed are: moles (nevi), freckles, warts, skin tags (growths composed of connective tissue), angiomas (capillary growth), keratoses, and the like. All of these changes are benign, and their removal is not dangerous.
Subcutaneous changes that require the surgical interventions are: atheroma (cysts sebaceous glands), lipoma (benign growth of fat tissue), neurofibroma, and the like.
Their removal is simple and is done through small surgical procedures, which means that they are removed under a local anesthesia and without the need to rest after surgery. Some changes can be removed without stitching, which means that they do not heal with a scar. The surgical methods for the removal of the skin changes are: cropping (excision), simple or by using small “plastic”, and extraction (extirpation), which is used mainly for the subcutaneous changes.
Malignant Skin Cancer
In general, the malignant skin cancers are melanoma and carcinoma. Although the cause of the malignant skin tumors is not completely clear, it is certain that the sun’s rays represent a risk factor to a certain extent.
The malignant skin cancer, melanoma, might look like a mole at an early stage, but there are certain signs by which an experienced doctor can tell the difference. Therefore, each mole whose structure arouses the melanoma suspicion should be removed as soon as possible and subjected to a histological microscopic analysis, because this is the only way of setting a secure diagnosis and it is the most important prerequisite for a timely treatment.
If the clinically accepted ABCDE method, or the so-called alphabetical melanoma, finds that there were certain changes to the mole or its environment (irregular surfaces, uneven edges, black color, and diameter greater than 5 mm), it is recommended that a dermatologist or a surgeon examines the suspected change and recommends the further treatment.
Skin cancer, regardless of the degree of its malignancy, is successfully surgically treated due to a simple fact that it grows on the surface, which is why, soon after its formation, it can be easily detected and removed before it develops the metastatic potential. The basal-cell carcinoma is a special type of skin cancer, which has a microscopic appearance of cancer, but grows slowly and usually does not have the potential to metastasize. Ergo, the basal-cell carcinoma is a type of benign skin cancer.
The less visible, the better
The scars occur as a result of injuries or surgical incisions. Every healed wound results in a scar, except the surface scratches. An aesthetically pleasing and acceptable scar is thin, in the level of the skin, and with minor differences in color from the surrounding tissue. What the scar will ultimately look like depends on many factors (size of the change, its character, condition of the connective tissue, and, among other things, the experience of the surgeon who removes the skin change).
You should know that scars cannot be removed, but they can be made less noticeable in many cases, especially if they are aesthetically unacceptable. The scar corrections are performed on an outpatient basis, under local anesthesia, and without the need to rest. During the initial healing phase, which can last for several months, the reddish scar tissue is formed. In the continuation of the healing process, or the so-called scarring, the redness disappears and the scar gradually takes on the color of the surrounding tissue, while we can talk about the final appearance of the scar only after one year of treatment.
It does not hurt to re-emphasize that, in the prevention and treatment of the skin cancer, it is extremely important to detect the skin disease at an early stage and surgically remove the tumor in its entirety.