Excision of a skin lesion (mole, cyst, skin tumour)

Excision of a skin lesion involves surgically removing an abnormality of the skin or just beneath it: a mole (naevus), a sebaceous cyst, a lipoma, a stubborn wart, or a skin tumour such as a basal cell carcinoma or a melanoma. The lesion is removed with a small margin of healthy skin, then the skin is closed with a fine suture. When the loss of skin is too great for direct closure, particularly on the face, the surgeon may use a local flap (moving neighbouring skin) or a skin graft. Every lesion removed is sent for histopathological analysis, that is, examination under the microscope. This analysis confirms the nature of the lesion and checks that the removal is complete. If the lesion is malignant, a further excision with wider margins or an additional specialist opinion may be needed; the next steps are then explained to the patient. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, these procedures are performed by a plastic surgeon or dermatologist, most often under local anaesthesia and as a day case, with the results of the analysis given at the follow-up consultation.