Minor Procedures

Earlobe

Earlobe repairs range from re-shaping the earlobe to repairing larger defects created by previous gauge placement. This procedure is done under local anesthesia with minimal pain. A combination of dissolving and permanent sutures is used to repair the defect. There is little to no downtime associated with the procedure. Patients may return to work the following day as well as resume exercising within 48 hours. Patients may return to the office within one week to remove outer permanent sutures.

Earring Repair

Earring repairs can be done for partially torn lobes secondary to earring wear or completely torn lobes. The procedure is done under local anesthesia with minimal pain. A combination of dissolving and permanent sutures is used to repair the defect. There is little to no downtime. Patients may return to work the following day as well as resume exercising within 48 hours. Patients will return within the office one week to remove outer permanent sutures. There is no dressing to the repair site. Earlobes may be re-pierced within 6 months.

Lesions and Cyst Removal

Lesions can be anything such as age spots, sun damage, warts, etc. A cyst or a lipoma are small subdermal masses that are benign but can be bothersome to the patient. The removal process uses a small incision using local anesthesia. Dissolving sutures are used to repair the skin incision. Patients may return to work the following day and resume exercise within 72 hours depending upon the area. A dressing may be applied to the site post procedure and will be removed at the follow-up visit within a week. If the removal of multiple lesions is needed, the maximum at one time would be three.

Scar Revision

A scar revision is done to improve the contour and aesthetic appearance of a scar. Although a scar cannot be erased or completely removed, the quality of the scar can many times be improved. Scars that are thick, wide and/or raised can sometimes be converted to a soft, fine white line scar. The current scar is completely removed, and the resulting incision is closed to result in a better-quality scar. This simple procedure can be done under local anesthesia. Patients may return to work the following day and resume exercising within 72 hours. A light dressing may be applied after the procedure is complete. Patients may shower within 24 hours.

Lacerations

Lacerations are a tear in the skin secondary to trauma. These are commonly repaired under local anesthesia using dissolving sutures. A dressing may be applied post procedure which can be replaced as needed. Most patients can return to work the following day and resume exercise within 72 hours. The site may be tender for several days with mild bruising depending upon the type of trauma sustained.