The Procedure Suites, formerly known as Minor Surgery, was upgraded in December 2006 as part of our goals to improve patient service.
The procedures currently performed at the Procedure Suites are:
Biopsy
A procedure that involves obtaining a tissue specimen for microscopic analysis to establish a precise diagnosis.
Biopsy shave
A procedure in which a skin abnormality and a thin layer of surrounding skin are removed with a small blade for examination under a microscope. Stitches are not needed with this procedure.
Curettage
The removal of tissue or growths from a body cavity by scraping with a curette.
Incision and drainage
Incision is the cutting of or into body tissues.
Drainage is the removal of fluid or purulent material from a wound, sore or cavity.
Skin grafting and flap
A skin graft is a patch of skin that is surgically removed from one area of the body and transplanted to another area.
A skin flap consists of skin and subcutaneous tissue that survives based on its own blood supply. A skin flap is used for wound coverage when inadequate vascularity of the wound bed prevents skin graft survival.
Surgical excision
Surgical Excision refers to “cutting” out of a skin lesion (growth). Some of the commonest lesions which are excised are moles, cysts and xanthelasma (cholesterol deposits).
Excision involves local anaesthesia and stitching of the skin. The stitches are removed after 1-2 weeks. The resulting line scar will heal and improve with time.
Electrosurgery
Electrosurgery is the use of an electric device for removing small superficial skin growths, such as viral warts, seborrhoeic keratoses (age growths) and skin tags. This requires cream or local anaesthesia. Crusts will be formed on the surface of the skin which will peel off sponstaneously.
Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Skin Cancers
Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Skin Cancers is a single procedure that is superior to other cancer removal techniques (standard excision, curettage, laser ablation, cryotherapy etc) because it uses the most complete and accurate method for microscopically checking all of the surgical margins of the resected tissue. Through successive stages, the technique allows the surgeon to trace out and extirpate “silent” extensions of tumor in a precise fashion. Thus, the cancer can be completely removed with a high degree of confidence, the highest possible cure rate and only a minimum of uninvolved surrounding tissue need be resected.