At Northern Medical, we offer safe surgical removal of sebaceous cysts & lipoma from both the body and neck or face. Our friendly and experienced team offer a convenient and professional service which puts the patient at the heart of the process and achieves excellent cosmetic results.
We are happy to assess photographs in advance of your appointment, meaning the cyst can be usually removed at your first visit if preferred.
The aim of the procedure is to remove the skin lesion. The tissue which is removed may be sent to the histopathology laboratory for analysis, to ensure that we do not miss an unsuspected diagnosis of malignancy. The surgeon will discuss the necessity of this with you on an individualised basis.
Our aim is to perform surgery with the best cosmetic result that is possible, but no guarantees can be made. You should understand the likely outcomes, as well as the more rare possibilities and risks before committing to surgery.
Please let the team know in advance about any medical conditions which you have, or medications which you take regularly. You will be sent an online questionnaire to collect this information, it is very helpful if you complete this.
Please shower on the morning of your surgery and avoid alcohol prior to your procedure. If you are a smoker, stopping smoking is advised.
If you are attending as a one-stop patient, this will be the first time that you have met the surgeon, but you are likely to have submitted photographs of your skin lesion in advance, which he will have reviewed before your appointment.
You will have a consultation with the surgeon, who will review your medical history, ask some questions about your skin lesion(s), and examine your skin. You will have the opportunity to discuss the procedure and recovery. The surgeon will show you how where the incision will be, and how long and where the scar is likely to be. If you choose to go ahead with the procedure, you will then be asked to sign a consent form.
Depending on the site of your lesion, we may ask you to change into a gown. Our nursing team will check your observations (pulse and blood pressure etc).
A local anaesthetic is injected just under the skin to numb the area being treated. This injection does sting for a few seconds, but very quickly goes numb. The numbing eKect can last several hours.
Once the area for surgery has been numbed, cleaning solution will be used to sterilise the skin. A sterile drape will be placed over the area in preparation for surgery.
The surgeon will cut into the skin over the lesion using a scalpel. The incision will usually be the same length as the diameter of the lesion. The lesion will then be dissected out. You may feel some pressure but there should not be any pain.
Once the lesion has been removed, the skin will be closed with stitches. There will usually be some internal (deep) stitches, and then some other dissolving stitches to close the skin. For some smaller cysts, the incision may be longer than the diameter of the cyst. On some occasions, we may use non-dissolving sutures which will require removal.
A dressing will cover the wound, and can be removed 5 days after the operation unless otherwise directed by the nurse. For wounds which cannot be covered with a dressing, we recommend keeping them covered with Vaseline™.
It is not advisable to soak the wound in a bath until it is fully healed. You may shower after 48 hours but, you must ensure that the wound is thoroughly patted dried afterwards. Avoid make-up around the wound until it has healed.
The wound goes through various stages of repair. Once healed the scar left may become a little pink and raised for a few months. Eventually this will fade and become less noticeable.
Please keep the area clean and dry. It is important to protect the maturing scar from sunlight. Do not apply make-up to the wound until it has healed.
While the wound is healing, it is important to avoid activities which will place strain on the stitches, particularly if you have had a procedure on the back, or limbs. Rupturing the stitches can cause wound break-down and can also result in increased scarring. The wound should be strong after 30 days.
A cyst excision is a safe operation and complications are rarely seen. All operations have a small risk of side eKects, such as pain, bleeding and infection. We want you feel well informed about this procedure and fully understand the risks and benefits of this surgery.
Local anaesthesia – Serious problems are uncommon with local anaesthesia. Risks cannot be removed completely, but modern drugs have made it a much safer procedure in recent years. You must inform the Doctor if you are pregnant as some drugs may aKect the foetus.
Very common and common side e2ects – Pain during injection of drugs, bruising and soreness.
Rare or very rare complications (1 in 10,000 or 1 in 100,000) – Allergy to drugs, significant nerve damage, death, equipment failure.
Bleeding – Bleeding will occur at the operation site. This will be managed by the surgeon at the time using diathermy (a device that helps seal small blood vessels from further bleeding). Once the procedure is completed a dressing will be applied. This will help manage any minor postoperative bleeding that may occur (1 in 10 people).
Scarring (all) and keloid scar (<1 in 20) – Scarring in some form is unavoidable with any trauma to the skin. However, cosmetic outcomes from shave excisions are usually good, often with an unobtrusive scar.
Occasionally you can get a type of scar called a keloid scar. This is a wide, sometimes raised scar, more common to happen on the upper torso, in areas with a lot of movement and in younger people.
Bruising or swelling (1 in 10) – Bruising may occur at the operation site. This will settle in a short period of time.
Wound infection (1 in 20) – As with any wound, there is a potential for infection. Signs might be redness around the wound, increasing pain, discharge (pus) from the wound or feeling unwell and feverish. If infection occurs, it may be necessary to have a course of antibiotics. If you have any concerns about your wound, you can contact our clinical team for advice, or seek advice from your GP.
Wound dehiscence – If the stitches rupture, the wound may open-up, resulting in a more prominent scar.
Pain (1 in 50) – If you experience any pain once home, rest and take painkillers such as Paracetamol as required. Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen unless it is prescribed by your doctor for another condition as this may encourage bleeding. If the pain is not controlled with regular Paracetamol, you can contact our clinical team, or seek advice from your GP.
Recurrence and further treatment (1 in 200) – Occasionally dependent on the diagnosis, the lesion removed may recur or require further treatment or referral to another Doctor.
