An excision is a procedure in which the surgeon removes a cancerous path proven skin lesion and an area of surrounding tissue called the margin.

Some patients are referred by their primary care physicians or come in because they are concerned with the way a spot looks. Your dermatology provider may also see something when performing a routine skin exam. Many types of benign skin growths may look like malignant tumors and are removed for a biopsy. If a lesion is path proven as precancerous, it may be later removed as a precaution.

Prior to the procedure, your surgeon will perform a biopsy in the office if the lesion is suspicious for cancer. If the lesion is indeed cancer, he or she will excise the lesion with appropriate margins and reconstruct the area. If it is in a cosmetically sensitive area, you may be referred to one of our Mohs surgeons for removal of the path proven skin cancer.