Central Auckland, East Auckland, North Auckland, South Auckland, West Auckland > Private Hospitals & Specialists >
Mr Bruce Peat - Plastic Surgeon & Hand Surgeon
Private Service, Plastic Surgery
Skin Lesions
Skin lesions can be divided into two groups:
- benign (non-cancerous): e.g. moles, cysts, warts, tags. These may be removed to prevent spreading (warts), stop discomfort if the lesion is being irritated by clothing/jewellery or to improve appearance.
- malignant (cancerous): basal cell carcinomas are generally slow growing and do not spread to other parts of the body. Squamous cell carcinomas vary in their aggressiveness. Melanoma is the most serious skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body; urgent removal is recommended.
Surgery to remove skin lesions usually involves an office or outpatient visit, local anaesthesia (the area around the scar is numbed by injecting a local anaesthetic) and sutures. Sutures may be removed in 1-2 weeks. You may need to take a few days off work after the surgery.
