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Minor surgery is a relatively painless and fairly quick procedure. It generally takes 20 to 30 minutes. Most procedures are carried out using local anaesthetic. This is an injection given around the site of the operation (similar to that used by Dentists).
This includes – Skin biopsies. Shave and cautery of benign lesions. Any other cosmetic procedures. Cryotherapy for warts or verrucae.
Depending on the complexity of the surgical procedure and the site of the lesion, surgery can take from around 15minutes to 45 minutes.
It’s very important to start walking as soon as it’s safe after your surgery. The sooner you start walking, the faster you will recover and go back to doing your normal activities. Walking after surgery: Lowers your risk of problems as you heal from surgery.
Dr Chandan would perform the Minor Surgery for the practice. Patients have to be seen by one of the Doctors first and, if suitable, they will be referred to the Minor Surgery clinic.
A wide range of operations are performed under local anaesthetic.
At the Practice, we will have a fully equipped operating area where we aim to provide a rapid access, local service with minimum inconvenience to our patients. This would be done on some week days and some saturday mornings.
Before your operation:
- Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the expected time of your surgery in order to assist with the smooth running of the clinic.
- Please have a shower or bath before coming to your appointment.
- You can have your meals as normal beforehand, although a light lunch may be more comfortable for you than a large meal.
- It is usually best to arrange for somebody else to bring you to your appointment and take you home afterwards. Although it’s unlikely to be a problem, we would not advise travelling unaccompanied by public transport in case you feel unwell afterwards.
- It helps to wear loose fitting clothing. You will not be required to strip off completely and we usually only need to expose the affected part.
- We pride ourselves on making the procedure as pain free as possible. You will be awake throughout the procedure and no sedation is given. The operation will be conducted under local anaesthetic. That is to say, you will be given an injection with a very fine needle to make the area go numb. You will feel a mild discomfort for a few seconds as the anaesthetic is administered. Thereafter, you will feel no pain at all.
- Apart from a parent accompanying a young child, we are not able to accommodate companions in the minor surgery room but they are welcome to sit in the waiting room whilst you are having your operation.
What to expect when you arrive for your minor surgery
You should go to the Reception desk at the Practice to book in. It is very important that you arrive on time, because any delays will transfer on to following patients. We try to make the experience as “stress free” as possible for you.
Before your surgery, Dr Chandan will explain exactly what procedure is being done and why. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions about the procedure being performed and/or any alternative treatments – including what would result if you decided not to have surgery. Provided you are happy, you will then be asked to sign a consent form.
We would like to emphasise that any procedures involving cutting the skin will result in a scar. Although this sounds very obvious, we frequently see patients who are surprised to hear that they will be left with a scar after cutting out a skin lesion and that sometimes the scar may be more obvious that the original lesion.
If a lesion has been cut out (e.g. a mole) it will be sent for “Histology”. This is routine for all cases and does not necessarily mean that we suspect cancer. “Histology” means that the sample will go to the hospital, where an expert will look at it under the microscope and provide a definite diagnosis. For this reason, we like to see all patients who have lesions cut out at around 1 month after the procedure to check that the scar is satisfactory, that there are no complications and to discuss the histology result with the patient. This appointment is during normal surgery at your “usual” surgery and you should make it by contacting reception in the usual way.
After your operation
You should rest for the remainder of the day.
Unless Dr Chandan advises otherwise, any dressings should remain dry and intact for 24 to 48 hours. After 24 to 48 hours you may have a shower or bath, provided the wound is dry. Do not use bubble bath or talcum powder for two weeks, because it could irritate the wound and impair the healing process.
Stitches:
Not all procedures involve stitches, however, if you have non-dissolving stitches, you will need to book an appointment with the practice nurses to have your stitches removed. We recommend that you book this appointment on the day of your operation before you leave. As a general rule, stitches to the head and neck area are removed at around a week after your operation and other parts of the body may have stitches removed up to two weeks after your operation. However, either Dr Chandan or the nurse will advise you of exactly when your stitches should be removed before you leave.
The local anaesthetic used will start to wear off 3 hours after your operation. We recommend that you start to take some painkillers 2 hours after your operation so that they start to work as your anaesthetic wears off. Suitable painkillers are paracetamol, co-codamol or ibuprofen.
Complications are rare. Signs of infection include a fever, increasing redness around the wound and a mucky green or yellow discharge – as a rule of thumb, any wound that seems to be getting worse over a period of days rather than getting better. If you are concerned that you may have developed an infection, please telephone the surgery to make an appointment so that treatment can be arranged.
You should be able to return to normal activities, including driving as soon as you feel able.
Most patients will be back at work the next day.