Frisco Mole Removal doctors
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Brent Spencer, MD
Frisco Dermatologic Surgeon
7044 Lebanon Road Suite 102, Frisco |
9 answers | |
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Vishnu Rumalla, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon
1870 Keller Parkway Suite 100, Keller |
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1 answer |
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Carla Ann Gustovich
Frisco Dermatologist
Frisco |
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Eric L. Weisberg, MD
Frisco Dermatologist
4685 Eldorado Pkwy Ste 100, Frisco |
Recent Answers
If a mole is removed by shaving it off, can it recur to look worse than the original mole was (e.g. more patchy or more raised)? or would the recurring mole be similar to the original one? Many thanks
Shaving a mole leaves some cells behind which may grow and the mole recurs. In terms of its appearance, you must evaluate the look of the mole vs how you look now vs what the scar of a complete excision would look like.
I am almost 22 and have been tanning in beds since I was in a preteen. (I won't be anymore) I got the results back from a biopsy and the mole was "moderate atypia." I have to go back in a couple weeks so my Dr can remove the skin around where they cut out my mole on my stomach. They said I would get stitches from this. Does this term "moderate atypia" mean I have cancer? What does it mean? Will I have a big scar from this next procedure where they remove more skin around it? Should I be worried?
Your questions are very good ones. In short, moderately atypical nevi (moles) are not cancerous. When you get the lesion removed, the scar should be slightly larger than your biopsy scar. Usually these are excised and closed in a linear fashion; so you should just have a fine line for a scar (with the length determined by the size of the mole).
Atypical nevi (moles) are very controversial lesions. I would say the most dermatopathologists don't believe that they are "pre-cancerous" anymore. The main thought is that having these lesions means that you are at a higher risk for developing a melanoma at another site. Melanomas can develop from atypical nevi, but this is not how they usually come up. Melanomas usually arise de novo (they come up from no preexisting lesion).
Different dermatologists and dermatopatholgists manage atypical nevi in many fashions. Personally, if I see mild atypia, I usually just watch the lesion. If it is moderate, I usually talk to the dermatopathologist for his/her opinion on removal. If it is severe atypia, it is getting cut off. Other dermatologists watch these lesions, and other dermatologist cut out even the mildly atypical ones.
Atypia means that the nevus cells have an atypical appearance themselves (cytologic atypia) or are arranged in an atypical pattern (architectural atypia). It does not necessarily mean that these cells are cancerous.
Should you be worried? Well you don't have to worry that you have cancer right now. Use this as a warning to be very diligent with you sun protection from this point forward. Also perform regular self-skin exams and get regular examinations from your dermatologist.
I have hundreds upon hundres of moles on my arms, legs, back, and chest. My derm won't remove them as they are benign and insurance won't cover the cost as removal is considered cosmetic. It is really affecting my self esteem and I don't like to go out in public. I am considering trying to get some liquid nitrogen to remove them myself. How well does it work to remove lots of flat, brown moles? Some are very large, slightly bigger than a pencil eraser. What about radiofrequency surgery?
I would completely agree with Dr. Krant's advice. First are they really moles or are they something different like seborrehic keratoses? Here in the DFW area, there are a ton of "Medi-Spas" that will claim that they are skin experts. Be very careful and make sure that you are seeing a board-certified dermatologist.
Do NOT try to freeze these lesions yourself. First off, how do you know if that mole is a melanoma or not? Second, while freezing appears to be an easy procedure to accomplish, there are subtleties that should be known to prevent damage (hypopigmentation [whiteness] and scarring).
I am not a fan of radiofrequency surgery. I feel that with proper techinque, one can get just as good a result with a sharp blade. Many surgeons and medispas will market radiofrequency for mole removal. They will remove the mole with this techinque and not send anything for pathology. This is another thing to watch out for.
Finally to address the financial issue, if indeed these lesions are benign, there is no insurance around that will pay for their removal. Expect to pay out of pocket.