Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
Curettage and electrosurgery results in the removal of the targeted skin lesion, AK, skin cancer, or genital wart and in the formation of a minor wound that heals rapidly after the procedure.
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Other Information
Definition
Curettage is the surgical removal of growths or tissue from the wall of a body cavity or other surface, using a spoon-like instrument with a sharp edge called a curette. Electrosurgery is a procedure that cuts, destroys, or cauterizes tissue using a high-frequency electric current applied locally with a pencil-shaped metal instrument or needle. When the two procedures are combined, the surgery is referred to as curettage and electrosurgery.
Purpose
The general purpose of curettage is to scrape an area free of undesirable tissue. The purposes of electrosurgery are to destroy benign and malignant lesions, control bleeding, and cut or excise tissue.
Specifically, a curettage and electrosurgery procedure is used to treat the following conditions:
benign skin lesions, such as angiomas, nevis, and warts
actinic keratoses (AKs), which are premalignant skin lesions
skin cancers, chiefly basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
genital warts that result from human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
Other Information
Approximately 56% of all patients achieve results of 20/20 or better and over 90% achieve 20/40 or better (which is good enough to drive without corrective lenses in most regions).1 Those with moderate to high myopia (greater than 7 diopters) have a lesser chance of achieving that result. As technique and technology improve, the results continue to improve.
From: Eye Surgery Education Council
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