Excisional Skin Biopsy
An excisional skin biopsy is a diagnostic surgical procedure in which the whole growth, or the area of tissue that matters for the diagnosis, is removed with a set margin beyond its visible edges.
How much is removed and how wide the margin is are decided individually, based on the preliminary clinical diagnosis and the purpose of the procedure. For example, when melanoma is suspected, an excisional biopsy usually removes the growth with a narrow margin of healthy skin so the diagnosis can then be confirmed by histology.
How the procedure goes
The procedure is done under local anesthesia. You may feel brief discomfort while the anesthetic is injected; after that the procedure is comfortable and painless.
Once the growth is removed, the wound is stitched, most often leaving a linear scar. The tissue goes to histopathology, and the results help establish the final diagnosis and plan further treatment.
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| Excisional biopsy of a skin tumor with assessment of resection margins | from 3500 UAH |
Frequently Asked Questions
In an excisional biopsy the whole growth is removed, with a margin beyond its visible edges. A punch biopsy takes only a small piece of tissue.
Individually, based on the preliminary clinical diagnosis and the purpose of the procedure. For example, when melanoma is suspected, the growth is usually removed with a narrow margin of healthy skin so the diagnosis can be confirmed by histology.
The procedure is done under local anesthesia. You may feel brief discomfort while the anesthetic is injected; after that it is painless.
The wound is stitched after removal, most often leaving a linear scar.
It goes to histopathology. The result helps establish the final diagnosis and plan treatment; the doctor explains it at the follow-up consultation.
