Cutaneous Surgery (or Dermatosurgery)
Cosmetic Surgery - Plastic Surgery - Aesthetic Medicine - Reconstructive Surgery
Cutaneous surgery or dermatosurgery includes all surgical procedures
involving the removal of skin lesions and correction of scars.
Cutaneous surgery, as its name suggests, is surgery to the skin when it
is considered advisable to remove certain lesions or attenuate abnormal
or unsightly scars.
Skin lesions are of three types:
-malignant lesions, skin cancer, will be removed by following a strict
protocol because, in most cases, cutaneous surgery is the only way to
treat such lesions effectively. These lesions must be removed entirely
and across a wide area at the sides and below. The histological
analysis of the lesion is routine for essential monitoring in this type
of skin surgery.
-suspicious lesions, malignancy or benignancy cannot be diagnosed by
the simple visual inspection, in this case there will be surgical
ablation and examination.
-benign lesions that we will remove early to prevent progression to
malignancy, simply because they are troublesome or for aesthetic
reasons.
Surgery must penetrate the skin (epidermis and dermis). Only the
epidermis (outer layer) heals without leaving a trace. As soon as the
dermis (the deep layer of skin) is incised and whatever the quality of
surgery and postoperative care, there will be healing with a trace that
becomes more or less visible over time.
Cutaneous surgery can transform an abnormal and embarrassing scar into
a new less visible one. Cutaneous surgery does not make a scar
completely disappear. No other current method, such as peeling, laser,
etc. is capable of removing a scar. The treatment, through cutaneous
surgery, of a scar that is simply too wide is not reliable because each
patient's own healing characteristics vary and the width of the scar is
not related to the surgical technique used.
Surgery is for the treatment of stable skin scars (it takes 6 months
to two years for a scar to stabilize). Additionally, cutaneous surgery
is indicated only in relation to some types of scars: retractile scars
(very unsightly and sometimes restricting movement); ulcerated scars
(brittle and easily becoming deeper); unstable scars (risk of malignant
degeneration); hypertrophic scars (painful, inflammatory and with
frequent reoccurring); unsightly scars (irregular, coloured, etc.).
The techniques used in cutaneous surgery vary for different types of
intervention. In all cases, a qualified plastic surgeon will find the
right solution for each individual case.
Cutaneous surgery is performed by a specialist in plastic surgery. It
is, as in any surgical procedure, performed after preoperative
assessment and consultation with an anaesthesiologist. Cutaneous
surgery can be carried out under local anaesthesia, local anaesthesia
in combination with sedatives or classic general anaesthesia.
The period of hospitalization after cutaneous surgery (in a
specialized facility, hospital or clinic) varies depending on the type
of surgery and anesthesia. The procedure can be carried out on an
outpatient basis and rarely (in cutaneous surgery) with a period of
hospitalization of 24 hours. Cutaneous surgery is a procedure the
duration of which depends on the surgical work to be carried out by the
qualified plastic surgeon.
Following cutaneous surgery, you should rest and avoid strenuous
movements because, whilst there is no real pain, you may feel some
discomfort with a feeling of tension on the scar.
The postoperative consequences of cutaneous surgery vary in duration
and magnitude depending on the patient: swelling (oedema) and bruises
(ecchymoses).
It takes a period of one to two years for the result to be fully
appreciated by the patient. This is the time needed for healing and
recovery of flexibility in the tissues.
Do not forget that skin surgery is a surgical procedure with all the
risks associated with any medical procedure (anesthesia and surgery)
even when carried out under the best conditions, that is to say by a
qualified plastic surgeon. Without overstating the risk, a proportion
of risks remain. . Recourse to a qualified plastic surgeon can help
prevent complications or treat them effectively.