Minor Surgery

We offer a number of minor surgical techniques at Mereside Medical. Our doctors have extensive experience of cautery, hyfrecator or excisional techniques. They can assess any skin lesions and apply that which would best suit your problem.  Any anaesthetic required and any post-operative care would be discussed.

Hyfrecator and Electrocautery

These techniques use small electric currents either to cut through the base of a lesion or to destroy its blood supply causing skin tags etc to wither and fall off.  The electric current not only cuts through the tissue but also seals any blood vessels allowing for a clean operation site.  These techniques are useful for skin tags and other small lesions, particularly where they are connected to the skin by small stalks or pedicles.  It may be necessary to anaesthetise the area to be treated, depending on the size of the lesion.

Excisional Techniques

We can remove other skin lesions by excision if necessary under local anaesthetic.  Any lesions removed in this way would be sent for histological analysis and the wound sutured if necessary.  Our nurses are highly skilled in wound care and can provide full post-surgical care.  Please note that procedures involving cuts in the skin such as this will always leave a scar, but by orientating the cuts properly and using the natural lines of the skin we can minimise any scarring.  We would advise on how apparent any scars would be likely to be at the time of your consultation.

Please consider that we also have considerable limitations contractually placed on us for NHS treatment, or onwards referral for benign Skin or Soft Tissue Lesions.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterbrorough Integrated Care Board will not allow treatment to be offered just to improve appearance.

Where there is no diagnostic uncertainty, the benign skin and soft tissue lesion must meet at least ONE of the following criteria to be removed:

  • The lesion is repeatedly infected and each episode requires antibiotics (2 or more episodes in the last year for oral treatment, 1 or more episode in the last year for intravenous treatment).
  • The lesion bleeds or discharges significantly and frequently in the course of normal everyday activity.
  • The lesion is obstructing an orifice or impairing field of vision or causing significant visible ocular irritation.
  • The size or location of the lesion has a direct and significant impact on physical function, eg restricts joint movement or directly impacts on ADLs (activities of daily living).
  • The lesion causes pressure symptoms directly on nerve or tissue eg neuropathic pain, or visible soft tissue irritation.

Date published: 19th June, 2023
Date last updated: 10th October, 2023