Prerequisites of office dermatologic surgery

Prerequisites of office dermatologic surgery done using any surgical modality remain the same. This chapter considers more issues that are an integral part of this surgery.

Preoperative Clinical Assessment

All patients posted for dermatologic surgery need to be counseled about the procedure. The counseling may take 15 to 30 minutes. The assessment centers upon two main concerns: (1) the ideal patient and (2) frequently asked questions and patient counseling.

The ideal patient

The patient is the center of the whole show of office dermatologic surgery. The patient posted for surgery must be in a stable mental state. He or she should also be fully prepared for the planned surgery, its final result, and its possible side effects and shortcomings. All doubts and fears about surgery or its postoperative cosmesis must be totally cleared from the patient’s mind. The patient should not have unrealistic expectations.

Frequently asked questions and patient counseling

All patients, whether stable or anxious, have basic questions they will ask before any surgery, including:

How much pain during and postsurgery?
Will surgery fully clear the concerned problem?
Will surgery worsen my facial appearance (in case of facial lesion)?
How much time is needed for full recovery?
Will there be a need for me to take leave from work for recovery?
Will there be any scars?

These frequently asked questions and many more should be satisfactorily answered and all other doubts of the patient must be effectively cleared through a very candid and clear discussion. This positive counseling should lead to boosting the patient’s confidence and building of a good relationship of mutual trust between patient and surgeon.

The Ideal Dermatologic Surgeon

All dermatologic surgeons are expected to possess certain qualities, including the following:

Depth of knowledge and understanding of the skin lesions to be removed
Adequate training and experience to handle such cases
Technical aptitude and dexterity to use radiofrequency surgery to deliver the best results
Adequate patience to understand patient’s expectations and work systematically to achieve promised results
Never overpromise results, always be patient during surgery using radiofrequency, and never be overzealous in order to avoid complications