Mole removal surgery

Mole removal surgery is generally a straightforward procedure with few side effects and little downtime. The important step comes before it: have the mole checked first, at Me Clinic or by your own doctor, so the right technique is chosen.

Cosmetic or medical - two different situations

Cosmetic removal. A benign mole removed because you would rather not have it, or because it catches on jewellery or gets nicked while shaving. The cosmetic result varies from person to person, and no result can be guaranteed. Not covered by Medicare.

Medical removal. Where a doctor is concerned about the potential for melanoma or another skin cancer. The lesion is excised and tissue sent for laboratory testing, or a biopsy is taken first. This is the situation in which surgery, rather than a destructive method, is essential - because it is the only route to a diagnosis. A Medicare rebate may apply.

Which of these applies is determined by examination, not by preference.

The surgical methods

Shave excision

A scalpel or radiofrequency device removes a raised mole level with the surrounding skin, leaving the skin flat. Healing takes several weeks and a small scar may be noticeable. Tissue is available for pathology where required.

Ellipse excision

The most invasive option, and the one used for suspicious lesions and for those unsuitable for laser or shave removal. The entire mole is removed in one piece and the wound closed with sutures - dissolvable, non-dissolvable, or both. After healing, a thin scar remains.

Ellipse excision is the method that provides a complete specimen for pathology, and the method that removes a lesion with a margin of surrounding tissue where that is clinically indicated.

The non-surgical alternatives

For lesions assessed as benign, Me Clinic also offers Aura laser, cryotherapy and radiofrequency electrosurgery. These destroy the tissue, so they are used only where the lesion has been assessed as benign - there is nothing left afterwards to examine.

How to prepare

You will have one or more consultations with a Me Clinic doctor before any surgical procedure, and you may need clearance from your regular doctor. During the consultation:

Tell your surgeon about all medications you take, particularly blood thinners, anticoagulants and any supplement that affects bleeding.
Tell your surgeon if the mole has changed in size, shape or colour. This changes the plan.
Mention any tendency to keloid or hypertrophic scarring.
Mention diabetes, immune suppression or anything else affecting healing.
Ask your questions - about the procedure, the expected scar, aftercare, whether pathology is being done, when you will get the result, and what happens if the result is abnormal.

Some methods behave differently on different skin types, and that is factored into the plan.

What happens on the day

Mole removal is performed under local anaesthetic at our Malvern East clinic. You are awake throughout and can expect to be told what is happening as it happens. Most removals are walk-in, walk-out.

Where tissue is sent for pathology, it is labelled and sent to a laboratory, and a pathologist examines it under a microscope. You should be told when and how you will receive that result before you leave.

Recovery and aftercare

The site may be tender and look discoloured for some days
Keep the wound clean and follow the dressing instructions you are given
Where an ointment is prescribed, keep the site moist while it heals
Do not pick a scab - let it separate on its own
Avoid sun exposure for a few weeks, then use sunscreen on the site - a fresh scar pigments easily
Where non-dissolvable sutures were used, there is a removal appointment
Avoid activities that stretch the wound while it heals, particularly over a joint or on the trunk

Most people return to work and normal activities immediately, though this depends on the site and the extent of the surgery.

Scarring

Surgical excision always leaves a scar. Its appearance depends on the size and depth of the lesion, the site, tension across the wound, your skin and how you heal. Scars mature over 12 to 18 months and fade, but do not disappear. Some people develop thickened, raised or keloid scarring.

See mole removal and scarring.

Risks

Permanent scarring
Keloid or hypertrophic scarring in those prone to it
Infection
Bleeding or haematoma
Delayed healing or wound separation
Changes in pigmentation at the site
Numbness or altered sensation
Incomplete removal, requiring further surgery
Recurrence of the lesion
Allergic reaction to local anaesthetic, sutures or dressings
Damage to underlying structures where a lesion sits over a nerve or vessel

Please read our information on the risks and complications of cosmetic surgery before proceeding.

Cost and Medicare

Cost depends on the number of lesions, the method, the site and whether pathology is required, and is quoted at consultation. As at September 2024 and including GST, a mole removal consultation with a Cosmetic Doctor is $150.

Where removal is medically indicated a Medicare rebate may be available - MBS item 45060 covers skin cancer removal with reconstructive surgery, with other items applying to biopsy and excision. Purely cosmetic removal is not covered. Me Clinic is not a no-gap provider.

Booking

Me Clinic is at 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511, or use the online consultation form.

See mole removal, surgical excision, skin cancer and mole removal, mole removal cost, or all skin services.

Individual results may vary. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.