Are you sick of your cyst?
We can help.
Sebaceous cysts are common swellings which some people develop just under the top layer of their skin. They can be really annoying – they rub against clothes and seats, and sometimes they’re unsightly. Sometimes they get infected, and get sore and swollen, and produce smelly pus and discharge. Thankfully, they are not serious, and don’t usually cause major problems, but they aren’t going to go away anytime soon.
Removing a cyst is a simple surgical procedure. I’ll talk you through it.
- We start by putting you at your ease, and making sure you’re comfortable.
- We clean the area up with some antiseptic wash, to keep the bugs at bay.
- We use a tiny needle with some local anaesthetic and adrenaline, which numbs the skin and reduces bleeding, to freeze up the area well. This is a bit jaggy and stingy, but it goes numb very quickly.
- Once we’re happy that the skin is numb, we use a scalpel to make a single straight line incision over the top of the cyst, and then carefully remove the whole thing.
- Once the cyst is out, we make sure that there’s no bleeding, and then we start to close the skin up with stitches, then apply a dressing.
That’s it! It takes less than 30 minutes, and all you need to do afterwards is keep the area dry for 2 days, maybe take some paracetamol for a day or two if it’s sore, and get the stitches out, usually 10 to 14 days after. You’ll have a small scar which should heal well and fade over a few months – less annoying than a cyst!
Interested? Contact us here at Minor Surgery NI to arrange an appointment!