Skin Surgery- Frequently Asked Questions

This service can treat Moles, Cysts, Lipomas, Skin Tags, Keratoses, Warts, Fibroma & Verrucas (Cryotherapy).

Each appointment takes up to 30 minutes, which will include a short consultation and the procedure. The doctor will remove as many lesions as is deemed safe and appropriate in the time allowed.

If a longer appointment is required to safely remove your lesions, this is charged at 15-minute increments.

Some skin surgery is available on the NHS such as removal of a skin cancer or if it is in a place that is irritating you. However, if you want a lesion removing for other reasons such as cosmetic purposes then the NHS may not cover the cost.

We do not intentionally remove cancerous lesions as this is covered by the NHS. However, in rare cases a lesion may be removed, and the biopsy result returns abrinal cells. In this case we will inform you promptly and with your consent let your GP know who can refer and manage this on the NHS.

EliteVAS surgery send the excised lesion(s) to the laboratory if they deem this appropriate. This is included in the cost of the service. We will let you know the results of the analysis as soon as we receive them.

Once an appointment has been booked we will send you confirmation together with a consent form which you should read but which you do not need to sign until you are certain you wish to proceed with the removal of your lesion following the consultation.

Your appointment includes a consultation with the doctor followed by the procedure. During the consultation, the doctor will discuss your general health and current medication. The doctor will then explain the procedure, whether or not it will involve stitches and discuss any likelihood of recurrence and scarring.

The procedure usually takes 30 minutes.

Absolutely! You will receive a local anaesthetic injection and will be awake for the procedure. The anaesthetic will wear off after a few hours.

The doctor will provide advice on post-operative wound care and also on whether, where and when to make an appointment for the removal of any stitches.

There will be a scar once the wound has healed; the degree of scarring depends on your age, where the lesion is and what surgery technique was used.

Most scars will be pale but occasionally they can become pigmented or darkened. Scars will usually fade over time.

There is a very small risk that the lesion may return after treatment. This can occur with any lesion but is most common with epidermal or sebaceous cysts, warts, skin tags and lipomas. This will be discussed during the consultation.

If, for any reason you are not happy with the outcome of your surgical procedure, you should not hesitate to contact us via email.