Why surgical removal?
Surgical removal of an abnormal growth or lesion in or under the skin is sometimes the safest course of action, a) to find out what it is, and/or b) to simply get rid of it.
How is the operation done?
Under a general anaesthetic (asleep) in the operating room.
An incision (cut) is made in the most appropriate orientation and the growth is removed and send to the laboratory for analysis.
At the lab the histopathologist processes the lesion, looks at it under the microscope and sometimes performs special tests to come to a diagnosis. It can take a week or more for the final results to be available.
What are some of the possible complications?
- Infection in the wound
- Bleeding
- Recurrence
What to expect after the operation
Your child will usually stay in hospital for approximately 2 hours following surgery.
There will be a scar at the site.
The stitches are generally dissolvable and often cannot even be seen because they run under the skin (‘subcuticular’).
Your surgeon or anaesthetist will usually use local anaesthetic to reduce pain after the operation. This wears off after a few hours. At home, give paracetamol for pain relief.
