Skin Surgery
Skin Procedures
From removing a bothersome skin tag to treating skin cancer. Every patient is assessed by a consultant on the GMC Specialist Register, usually with dermoscopy, and the consultant who examines you performs the procedure and reviews you afterwards.
Anaesthetic
Local, for almost all cases
Hospital stay
Outpatient, home the same day
Stitches out
Usually 7 to 14 days
Results, if sent
Usually 3 to 4 weeks
How it works
Most skin growths are non-cancerous. Moles, cysts, lipomas, skin tags and seborrhoeic keratoses are removed for comfort, repeated inflammation, or appearance. Every lesion is assessed at consultation to confirm the diagnosis before removal; where anything raises concern, removal is done under the skin cancer pathway with histology rather than as a cosmetic removal.
Almost all procedures are done under local anaesthetic in a single outpatient visit, and some can be done on the same day as your consultation. Skin cancer is treated end-to-end at Waterfront: assessment, excision and reconstruction by the same consultant team, with every confirmed melanoma reviewed by the regional multidisciplinary team.
Not every lesion is examined under the microscope. Where there is no diagnostic question, a straightforward cosmetic removal for instance, it may not be sent at all, and your surgeon will tell you on the day.
The procedures we do
Biopsy or excision: A small round piece (punch), part (incisional) or all (excisional) of the lesion is removed and the skin closed with a few stitches.
Shave excision: For raised, benign moles where a flush finish is preferred: the raised part is removed level with the surrounding skin. Material is sent for histology in every case.
Wide local excision: A further margin of normal-looking skin is taken from around an earlier scar, to be certain nothing was left behind.
Skin graft or skin flap: Skin from another area, or from beside the wound, is used to close a larger wound. Both sites are dressed.
Healing on its own: The wound is left open to close on its own. This often gives a very good result but needs regular dressings for several weeks.
What we treat
The detail for each condition, including guide prices, is on our main website.
Your journey and aftercare
Your Journey walks you through before, on the day, the first week, stitches out, results and scar care. The aftercare guide has the full wound-care advice and the signs to ring us about.