Laser Surgery for Skin Cancer

In early non-melanoma skin cancers, efficacy of removal equates to approximately 80-95%.

Smaller treated skin cancer lesions will be covered by special tape for 48-72H, however larger skin cancer lesions can’t be fully covered by tape, therefore, you must stick to strict sun avoidance for the first 48 hours. This is to avoid prolonged activation of the topical creams applied and a more extreme, lengthier recovery period.

After the appointment you will likely feel tight and can be stingy and have an appearance similar to sunburn in the treated areas. This will be more apparent in areas of increased damage. This can progress to areas of scaly, red, scabbed areas, which can take 2+ weeks to heal in some instances. It is important not to pick these lesions in the coming weeks as your skin heals to avoid scaring. Due to the possibility of downtime which can be significant for some people, careful planning of your appointment away from important events/functions is advised. You will leave your appointment with treated areas covered by sport tapes. These are to remain in place for the next 48-72 hours. The tape will be removed after 2-3 days. You will then apply a provided ointment for the next 2 weeks .

When surgically excising skin cancers, we send the tissue sample to pathology for examination and can determine exactly the margins achieved and can confirm a skin cancer is 100% removed. The downside to this is it leaves a scar. Laser assisted PDT can shrink a skin cancer down to minimal-to-nothing, however due to the nature of the procedure it is not possible to send tissue to pathology for confirmation of removal. We then rely on doctor examination 3 months following treatment to check for signs of residual skin cancers. In many instances this procedure avoids surgery and is scarless.