Procedural Dermatology

Electrodessication and currettage (ED&C, “scraping and burning”) is a basic skin procedure to scrape away abnormal cancer cells with a sharp curette followed by electrodessication to further treat the lesion. This technique is often performed by dermatologists to treat only certain types of skin cancers for specific indications.

In surgical excision, the skin cancer and a margin of healthy tissue around it is cut out. The width of the margin of skin is based on the type of skin cancer that is being removed. After the tissue is removed, the edges of the wound are sutured (stitched) together. The removed skin tissue is sent for processing and evaluation by a pathologist.

Radiation therapy may occasionally be recommended instead of surgery if the skin cancer is located in a hard-to-treat place, is particularly large, or if the patient is unable to undergo surgical treatment. Radiation therapy is performed at a radiation center usually in multiple sessions by a radiation oncologist, a doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer.

This service is offered on site.

Skin biopsy is a short office procedure done to help diagnose skin conditions. It is a procedure in which a sample of skin tissue is removed, processed, and examined under a microscope. Depending on the size and location of the biopsy site, a shave or punch biopsy method is used.

For a shave biopsy, a razor or scalpel is used to take the tissue sample. The depth of the incision varies depending on the type of biopsy and the part of the body being biopsied. An adhesive bandage is then placed over the site to protect the wound.

For a punch biopsy or an excisional biopsy, the procedure involves cutting into the top layer of fat beneath the skin, so stitches may be needed to close the wound. A dressing or adhesive bandage is then placed over the site to protect the wound.

Cryotherapy refers to a treatment with liquid nitrogen which produces a localized freezing of the skin. This is used for the treatment of a variety of skin conditions most commonly benign skin lesions such as warts and precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses.