Surgery

Skin biopsy

Don’t be afraid of the skin biopsy

The thought of a skin biopsy can be frightening, but it's a simple, quick, risk-free and irreplaceable part of the diagnostic procedure.

When is it performed?

The situations when we resort to skin biopsy are when we need to prove or certify a diagnosis.

How is this done?

Whichever technique is chosen, the removal of a piece of tissue will be done under local anesthesia, without pain. The skin area biopsied is usually small, resulting in minor, often almost invisible scars.

What are the options?

• shave biopsy - when a surface lesion is scraped, without any signs of severity, such as seborrheic keratoses or papillomas.
• punch biopsy - most commonly performed using a cylindrical instrument of variable diameter. The defect is then closed by the application of a suture, creating a uniform healing without obvious scarring.
• excisional biopsy - means removing the lesion entirely. This method is used in situations where malignancy is suspected or when surgical excision is the indicated therapeutic approach.

The skin fragments obtained are processed pathopathologically. Various tests may be necessary to establish a diagnosis or to eliminate a suspicion.

In conclusion, biopsy is a routine procedure, of major importance in establishing the correct diagnosis and performed in time can be life-saving.

Feel free to call in for a dermatology consultation with one of our doctors for more information.

Incision and drainage of cystic lesions

Surgical excision with simple suture

Surgical excision with two-plane suture

Tumor lesion excision with flap or graft reconstruction

Complex surgical excision

Complex flap surgery

Multiple lesion surgery

Postoperative dressing