Skin biopsy is a common surgical procedure in dermatology practice. This procedure is usually required to reach diagnosis in clinically doubtful cases. It’s an honour to have with us renouned dermatologist, Dr Karan Inder Singh Mehta. He is currently serving as associate professor at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh). He has in-depth knowledge and experience of all cosmetic surgical procedures.
Q: What is skin biopsy?
Dr. Karan: Skin biopsy is a procedure in which a small piece of skin tissue is removed, and then delivered to pathology lab for examination under microscope.
Q: Why is a skin biopsy done?
Dr. Karan: Skin biopsy can be performed on any skin condition where diagnosis is doubtful. These may include conditions like psoriasis, leprosy, lichen planus etc. It is also done to establish early diagnosis of skin cancer, which may be suspected when an abnormal area of skin has changed color, shape, size, or appearance.
Q: How much time does it take to complete the procedure?
Dr. Karan: It takes only 10-15 minutes to complete the procedure.
Q: Is it painful?
Dr. Karan: Once the effect of local anesthesia sets in, there is virtually no significant pain. So, the pain is only that of the needle prick used for anaesthesia. And this pain, too, is very minimal.
Q: How is skin biopsy performed?
Dr. Karan: No special preparation is needed before having this procedure. The site of lesion is cleansed and sterilised. Injectable anaesthesia is given at site of lesion. The area of biopsy is chosen and marked. Skin biopsy punch of appropriate size is introduced into the chosen site to extrude a small cylindrical fragment of tissue. The tissue is kept is stored in formalin and transported to nearest pathology lab for diagnosis. The area from where tissue is removed is dressed.
Using a skin biopsy punch to perform a skin biopsy
Q: Is there any downtime in this procedure?
Dr. Karan: No, there is no downtime. The patient may return to his daily activity soon after the procedure.
Q: What is the patient advised after undergoing skin biopsy?
Dr. Karan: The bandage over the biopsy site is advised to be kept until the next day. The patient is prescribed topical and oral antibiotics for 4-5 days. In case of minor bleeding at the biopsy site, the patient should apply direct pressure to the site for a few minutes. The patient should not do activities that might stretch the skin at the site of the biopsy. He should wash hands with soap and water before touching the biopsy site.
Q: Are there any side effects?
Dr. Karan: A small scar develops at the site of the skin biopsy. Such scars fade gradually. Other side effects are practically none if biopsy is performed by experienced dermatologist. Rare side effects include bleeding, infection, scarring and damage of underlying nerves at the site of lesion.
Q: How much time does it take to obtain the results of skin biopsy?
Dr. Karan: This depends on the time the pathologist takes to provide the report. This usually takes 7-10 days. Based on the correct diagnosis, the appropriate treatment is started.
We thank Dr Karan for providing his expert opinion about these facts regarding skin biopsy. We hope to bring you more interviews from experts in the field of skin care. If you liked this article, please share it with your friends!
Dr Karan Inder Singh Mehta
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