The IMC can offer routine appointments for minor surgery which includes removal of skin lesions that are of concern. Some lesions can be removed for cosmetic or functional reasons, but in practice, many lesions are removed by our qualified surgeons at the request of the Dermatology Consultant in Guernsey. This helps to keep waiting lists as well as costs down at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, and saves Alderney residents having to take expensive day trips to Guernsey.
Skin lesions are either removed (excised) and then sutured or curetted (scraped). Cryotherapy (freezing) and cautery are also used. Lesions are then sent to the pathology laboratory in Guernsey for histology and if necessary, further treatment.
It usually takes around 2 weeks for results to come back from the laboratory in Guernsey. Some skin cancers, for example malignant melanoma, are sent to the large laboratory at Southampton for further analysis.
We aim to write to or phone all patients as soon as we have results back. We may ask you to come and see the doctor to discuss further management if more investigations or more extensive surgery is necessary.