Minor Surgery
Day-case minor surgical removal of skin lesions, cysts and similar concerns
- Procedure time
- Typically 20 to 45 minutes
- Anaesthetic
- Local anaesthetic
- Hospital stay
- Day case, home the same day
- Sutures
- Removed after 5 to 14 days depending on the site
- Downtime
- Most people return to work the next day
What is minor surgery?
Some things on the skin are best simply removed. A cyst that keeps flaring, a lipoma that has grown enough to catch on clothing, a mole in an awkward spot, a lump nobody can identify by looking at it. Minor surgery covers exactly this territory: procedures small enough to be done in a treatment room under local anaesthetic, but genuine surgery nonetheless.
The local anaesthetic is injected around the area, so you feel a brief sting and then pressure and movement rather than pain. The lesion is removed through a small incision, the wound is closed with fine sutures, and you go home the same day. Most procedures take between twenty minutes and three quarters of an hour.
How the lesion is removed matters more than it sounds. A cyst, for example, has a wall, and if any of that wall is left behind the cyst will quietly refill and return. Taking it out intact is the difference between a permanent solution and a repeat appointment in a year. The same applies to a lipoma, which needs to be freed from the surrounding tissue rather than simply squeezed out.
Anything removed is normally sent for laboratory examination. This is standard practice, not a sign that anyone is worried: it confirms the diagnosis definitively and rules out anything unexpected, which is something no amount of looking at a lesion can do with certainty.
Any procedure that cuts the skin leaves a mark, and a scar is a permanent trade for a lesion removed. Your surgeon will plan the incision to follow natural skin lines where possible and will be straightforward with you about the likely result before you decide to go ahead.
Why patients choose Minor Surgery
- Permanent removal of cysts, lipomas, moles and other benign lumps
- Carried out under local anaesthetic with no general anaesthetic needed
- Home the same day, with most people back to work the next
- Tissue sent for laboratory examination to confirm the diagnosis
- Incisions planned to follow natural skin lines wherever possible
- Performed by experienced surgeons rather than delegated
Minor surgery suits anyone with a benign skin or soft-tissue lesion that is uncomfortable, catching, recurrently inflamed, growing, or simply unwanted, and anything that needs a definitive diagnosis rather than observation. It is not appropriate for large or deep lesions, or for anything requiring a general anaesthetic, and your surgeon will tell you at assessment if a different setting would serve you better.
What to expect from Minor Surgery
- Step 1
Consultation and assessment
Your surgeon examines the lesion, confirms the likely diagnosis and discusses whether removal is the right course. The technique, the expected scar and its position, the risks and the recovery are all explained, and you are given time to decide.
- Step 2
Procedure
The area is cleaned and local anaesthetic injected, which stings briefly and then numbs the area completely. The lesion is removed through a small incision, taking care to remove it intact where the type of lesion demands it, and the wound is closed with fine sutures. You go home the same day.
- Step 3
Healing and results
Sutures are removed at a follow-up appointment, usually after five to seven days on the face and ten to fourteen days elsewhere. Any tissue removed is sent for laboratory examination and the result discussed with you. The scar is firm and pink at first and continues to soften and fade over the following twelve to eighteen months.
Keep the wound clean and dry for the first 48 hours, or for as long as your surgeon advises, and leave the dressing in place until you are told otherwise. Some discomfort is normal once the anaesthetic wears off and usually responds to simple pain relief; avoid aspirin unless you already take it, as it can encourage bleeding. A small amount of bruising and swelling is expected. Avoid heavy lifting, strenuous exercise and anything that stretches the skin around the wound for around two weeks, since tension across a healing wound is the main cause of a stretched scar. Keep swimming pools, baths, saunas and steam rooms out of the picture until the wound has fully healed. Return as arranged for your sutures to be removed. Once healed, protect the scar from the sun for at least a year, because fresh scar tissue pigments easily and can darken permanently; a high-factor sunscreen or covering makes a real difference. Massaging the scar with a plain moisturiser once it is fully closed can help it soften. Contact the clinic if the wound becomes increasingly painful, red, hot or swollen after the first couple of days, if there is discharge or bleeding that does not settle with pressure, or if you feel unwell.
Frequently asked questions about Minor Surgery
What kinds of lesions can be removed?
Commonly cysts, lipomas, moles, skin tags and other benign lumps and bumps in the skin or the tissue just beneath it. Your surgeon will assess the lesion first and confirm whether removal under local anaesthetic in clinic is appropriate, or whether it would be better managed in a different setting.
Does it hurt?
The local anaesthetic injection stings for a few seconds. After that the area is fully numb and you should feel pressure and movement but not pain. Tell your surgeon at any point if you feel anything sharp, as more anaesthetic can simply be added. Afterwards, as the numbness wears off, the area is usually sore rather than painful and responds to simple pain relief.
Will I have a scar?
Yes. Any procedure that cuts the skin leaves a permanent scar, and that is the honest trade for removing the lesion. Your surgeon will plan the incision to follow natural skin lines and keep it as short as the lesion allows. Scars are firm and pink initially and continue to soften and fade over roughly twelve to eighteen months.
Why is the lesion sent to a laboratory?
Because examining tissue under a microscope is the only way to be certain what it is. This is routine for anything removed and is not a sign of concern. It confirms the diagnosis and would identify anything unexpected. Your result is discussed with you once it is available.
Can a cyst come back after removal?
It can if any part of the cyst wall is left behind, which is why the aim is to remove it intact. A cyst that is actively inflamed or infected is harder to remove cleanly, so it is sometimes better to settle the inflammation first and remove it a few weeks later rather than operate at the worst moment.
How soon can I get back to normal?
Most people go back to work the next day. Avoid heavy lifting, strenuous exercise and anything that pulls on the wound for around two weeks, as tension across a healing wound is the main cause of a wide or stretched scar. Swimming, baths and saunas wait until the wound has fully healed.
What are the risks?
The main ones are bleeding, infection, a scar that is more noticeable than hoped, and recurrence if the lesion is not fully removed. Numbness around the wound is common at first and usually recovers. Occasionally a lesion sits closer to a nerve or vessel than expected. Your surgeon will discuss the risks that apply to your particular lesion and its position.
How much do minor surgical procedures cost?
Pricing depends on the procedure and what is agreed for you and is confirmed in writing at your consultation, with no obligation to proceed.
Considering Minor Surgery?
Book a consultation with our specialist team to discuss whether this treatment is right for you.
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