Skin Biopsies

Skin biopsies performed at West Coast Foot And Ankle Center’s Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs and La Quinta offices are not painful.  We will cleanse the skin to be biopsied.  The skin is marked with an outline for an accurate biopsy.  A local anesthetic is applied to numb the site where the biopsy will occur.  The numbing medication will spur a burning sensation yet the biopsy will not prove painful.  The medical professional who performs the biopsy will prick the skin with a needle prior to the procedure to ensure the anesthetic is properly numbing the site.  All in all, the skin biopsy is likely to take about 15 minutes including the time necessary for preparation, wound dressing and subsequent at-home care.

 If the biopsy is of the shave variety, a razor or scalpel will be used to perform the necessary cut.  Topical medication and pressure will be administered to minimize bleeding.  Excisional biopsies, also referred to as punch biopsies, involve a cutting of the uppermost layer of fat below the skin.  Stitches are then added to close the site of the biopsy.  There’s no need to worry about lasting damage or scarring as a bandage is subsequently placed atop the wound for protection and prompt healing.  The bandage is to remain on the skin until the next day.  Our office will reach out to you once the biopsy results are available.  It usually takes a week to obtain biopsy results.  The purpose of a skin biopsy is to treat skin infections, tags, cancers, moles, warts and inflammatory conditions.