OVERVIEW

Skin surgery refers to a broad range of surgical procedures such as lipoma, cyst and skin cancer removal. Most minor skin surgical procedures require only local anaesthetic to numb the operative site.
Skin conditions requiring surgical interventions include skin cancers, chronic wounds needing skin grafting, pilonidal abscess, and pilonidal cyst treatment. Other subcutaneous lesions such as lipomas, dermal inclusion cysts or less common soft tissue tumours are also included in the list of surgeries Dr Botes performs.

Surgical interventions for skin lesions include the following:

• Skin biopsy: This can either be a punch biopsy done in rooms, with a specialised needle that removes about 4mm of skin to have it evaluated by a pathologist, or an excision biopsy where the lesion is removed for analysis. The type of biopsy would depend on the size and the location of the lesion.
• Wide local excision: This is typically done for a suspicious lesion, in which case the entire lesion as well as a margin of healthy skin is removed. The extent would depend on what type of skin malignancy it is, as well as the site of the lesion.
• Lumpectomy: For subcutaneous tumours such as lipomas or dermal inclusion cysts, the tumour is removed entirely. If the growth is concerning, Dr Botes might obtain imaging first and recommend tissue analysis prior to surgery.
• Abscess drainage: A skin abscess is a pus-filled sac that forms beneath the inflamed skin surface and develops from a bacterial infection. An incision is made over the abscess, through which pus is drained, and the area is cleansed with a saline solution.
• A pilonidal cyst, which contains fluid, skin debris, dirt and hair, is found near the tailbone due to a skin infection from loose or ingrown hairs. An incision is made to open the cyst and drain its contents.