Skin
Surgery

Excisions are office procedures performed under local anesthesia in which skin lesions are cut out. They may be performed for both benign and malignant skin conditions. Some common benign skin conditions that may require excision include cysts, lipomas, moles with atypical cells, dermatofibromas, and scar revisions.

The best way to treat all three types of skin cancer is surgical excision, with microscopic confirmation that not only the cancer but a margin of healthy tissue has been removed.  

Most frequently, an elliptical segment of skin containing the skin cancer is removed. The resulting defect is then repaired using sutures underneath the skin and on the surface 

The tissue sample is sent to a dermatopathologist for evaluation of the lesion and to ascertain complete removal. While the majority of skin cancers are treated by simple surgical excision, certain sub-types may require a particular treatment called Mohs’ Micrographic Surgery.