Skin Surgery: A Practical Guide

This book is a practical guide for time efficient, cost effective, and cosmetically excellent skin surgery, covering the fundamentals that can be done in the office setting. It covers procedures in the Core Educational Guidelines for Family Practice Residents and provides criteria for recommending referral to a skin specialist. The focus is on treating common skin lesions, choosing the appropriate biopsy type for suspicious lesions, and the prevention of surgical and post surgical complications. This book is organized in a logical fashion starting with setting up the facilities, instruments, and equipment necessary to perform skin surgery in the office. Step-by-step procedures along wiht clear colour photographs accompany the chapters on shave biopsy, punchbiopsy, elliptical excision, cryosurgical technique, electrosurgery, and intralesional injections. This text provides necessary information on choosing anesthesia, diagnosing and treating common cutaneous malignancies, and caring for wounds. Finally, the authors provide chapters on when to refer and on preventing complications.* Focuses on office-based procedures that are appropriate for primary care physicians. * Authored by dermatologic surgeons and family practitioners to provide the proper perspective on what can be performed safely and efficiently by the non-specialist. * Includes referral guidelines to provide criteria and rationales so primary care physicians know when to treat and when to refer. * Gives step-by-step instructions illustrated by full-color photographs.