Scar Excision

Skin lesion excision is a procedure in which the surgeon removes a cancerous skin lesion and an area of surrounding tissue called the margin.

There are three types of skin cancer: Basal cell cancer is the least invasive with the least amount of margin removed; squamous cell is more aggressive with a wider margin required. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, occurring in the cells that produce pigment.

Many types of benign skin growths may look like malignant tumors and are removed for a biopsy. If a lesion looks precancerous it may be removed as a precaution.Some patients are referred by primary care physicians or are self-referred because of the concerning appearance of a lesion. Your surgeon will perform a biopsy in the office if the lesion is suspicious for cancer. If the lesion is indeed cancer, he or she will then excise the lesion with appropriate margins and then reconstruct the defect.