Surgical cutaneous procedures include removal of benign and malignant skin lesions.
Surgical removal of skin cancers is considered the treatment of choice, since the lesion can be totally resected and sent for histopathologic examination.
Moreover, there are numerous benign skin lesions that cause aesthetic concerns and can not be treated conservatively.
Surgical lasers such as the carbon dioxide laser (CO2 Laser) can replace the scalpel in dermatologic surgery. The advantages are a more controlled, less painful and relatively bloodless procedure, with minimal residual scarring.
Dermatologic surgery procedures are usually performed under local anesthesia.