This outpatient procedure is used to remove small lesions or growths on the skin. It is commonly used to treat benign growths, precancerous tissues, and less-severe cancers.
In preparation for the procedure, the skin is cleansed and sterilized and a local anesthetic is injected to numb the skin.
The physician uses an instrument called a curette to scrape off and remove the abnormal tissue. After the growth is removed, the skin is cauterized with an electrode. The cauterization stops the bleeding, and also destroys any abnormal cells that may have surrounded the growth.
The wound is bandaged, and over the next few weeks it will heal. In many cases a small, light-colored scar will remain.