Curettage & Cautery
Curettage & Cautery and Skin Lesion Removal in Toowoomba
Not every skin lesion needs a full surgical excision. For certain superficial skin cancers and many benign lesions – skin tags, seborrhoeic keratoses, and similar – simpler removal techniques can be appropriate, including curettage and cautery: scraping the lesion away and sealing the base with controlled heat, under local anaesthetic. At OJ Clinics in Toowoomba, lesion removal always starts with proper assessment, so the technique fits the lesion – not the other way around.
Please note: all lesion removal procedures are invasive and carry risks, including scarring, changes in skin colour at the treated site, infection, bleeding and recurrence of the lesion. Which technique – if any – suits your lesion is a clinical decision your doctor will discuss with you, including the alternatives.
GP trained in skin cancer medicine
Assessment before removal, always
Local anaesthetic procedures on site
No referral is required to see us
What Is Curettage and Cautery?
Curettage and cautery (C&C) is a minor procedure performed under local anaesthetic. The doctor uses a curette – a small instrument with a ring-shaped edge – to scrape the lesion away from the surrounding skin, then applies cautery (controlled electrical heat) to the base. The cautery serves two purposes: it stops bleeding, and it treats the underlying tissue where lesion cells may remain. The cycle is often repeated two or three times in the one sitting.
Unlike cryotherapy, curettage produces tissue – and at OJ Clinics the curettings are sent to pathology, so the diagnosis is confirmed even though, unlike a formal excision, the pathologist cannot assess margins from curetted tissue.
The wound is left to heal like a graze under a dressing – no sutures – usually over two to four weeks depending on the site. C&C typically leaves a flat, pale, roughly round mark at the treated site.
Which Lesions Suit Which Removal Technique?
The right technique depends on what the lesion is, how deep it goes, and where it sits. As a general guide:
| Lesion | Commonly suitable techniques |
| Skin tags | Snip excision or cautery – quick, usually in a standard consultation |
| Seborrhoeic keratoses (“senile warts”) | Curettage, cryotherapy or shave removal |
| Sunspots (actinic keratoses) | Cryotherapy, or field treatments where damage is widespread |
| Certain superficial BCCs and SCC in situ | Curettage and cautery, cryotherapy or excision – case-by-case, after diagnosis is established |
| Suspicious or changing moles | Assessment first, always – then biopsy or excision as indicated; never scraped or burned off |
| Invasive skin cancers, melanoma | Surgical excision or specialist referral – C&C and cryotherapy are not appropriate |
Why Choose C&C Over Excision - and Why Not
Where C&C has advantages: no sutures and no suture-removal visit; a shorter procedure; often practical for patients on blood thinners or with fragile skin where suturing is difficult; multiple suitable lesions can be treated in one sitting.
The trade-offs, stated plainly: curetted tissue can’t be margin-assessed, so there’s no pathological confirmation that the whole lesion is gone; recurrence rates for superficial cancers treated with C&C are generally higher than for complete excision; healing is by open wound (slower on legs and in older skin); and the pale mark left behind can be more noticeable than a fine surgical scar, particularly on the face.
This is why C&C is offered for selected lesions rather than as a default – the convenience is real, but it’s only the right call when the lesion type, site and your circumstances make the trade-offs acceptable. Your doctor will walk you through that reasoning for your lesion.
Benign Lesion Removal - Skin Tags and More
Plenty of removals aren’t about cancer at all: skin tags that catch on clothing or jewellery, raised seborrhoeic keratoses that rub or itch, and similar benign lesions can be removed for comfort or personal reasons.
Two things still apply. The lesion is assessed first – benign-looking lesions occasionally aren’t, and confirming what something is comes before removing it. And expectations are set honestly: every removal method leaves some mark. Any claim of scar-free removal – wherever you’ve read it – is not one a medical practice can truthfully make. What your doctor can do is choose the technique likely to heal best for that lesion on that site, and tell you frankly what to expect.
[VERIFY with client: are cyst and lipoma excisions offered? If yes, add a line: “Excision of skin cysts and lipomas (fatty lumps) is also available – these are removed surgically under local anaesthetic; see our skin cancer excision page for what surgical removal involves.” If not offered, leave this section as is.]
Removal of benign lesions solely for cosmetic appearance does not attract a Medicare rebate. A clear breakdown of any out-of-pocket fees is provided and explained before any procedure is scheduled.
Aftercare
C&C and similar open-wound removals heal like a deep graze:
- Keep the initial dressing on and dry as advised, then keep the site clean - gentle washing, no scrubbing or picking.
- A moist healing environment under a dressing or ointment usually gives the best result; your doctor will advise what suits your wound.
- Expect the site to weep slightly in the first days, then crust; the crust separates on its own.
- Facial sites often heal in around two weeks; legs and backs of hands can take four or more.
- Contact the clinic for spreading redness, increasing pain, pus or fever.
The treated area commonly stays pink for weeks before fading to its final appearance – usually a flat, pale mark – over several months.
We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of patient privacy. We never use or publish your photographs or personal information.
Other Services at OJ Clinics
Frequently Asked Questions
The site is numbed with local anaesthetic first, so you should not feel pain during the procedure – most patients notice the anaesthetic sting, then pressure and a warm sensation from the cautery. The site feels like a graze for days afterwards.
Yes – typically a flat, pale, roughly round mark at the treated site, which fades over months but is usually permanent to some degree. On some sites and skin types it’s barely noticeable; on others it’s more visible than a surgical scar would have been, which is part of the technique choice your doctor will discuss.
Yes – curettings from lesions of any diagnostic significance are sent to pathology. This confirms the diagnosis, though margins can’t be assessed from curetted tissue the way they can after a formal excision.
Selected superficial, low-risk skin cancers can be, after the diagnosis is established and where the site suits it. Invasive cancers and melanoma are never treated this way. Recurrence is somewhat more likely than after complete excision, which is why follow-up review is part of the plan.
Yes – skin tag removal is usually quick and often done within a standard consultation. Multiple tags can typically be treated in one visit. Note that removal of benign lesions for cosmetic reasons generally attracts no Medicare rebate; fees are confirmed before treatment.
Because a mole that’s scraped or burned away can’t be properly examined – and occasionally a lesion that looks benign isn’t. Moles are assessed first, and where removal is appropriate, a technique that preserves tissue for pathology is usually chosen.
It depends on the lesion and technique, and on whether the removal is medically indicated (Medicare rebates may apply) or solely for cosmetic appearance (no Medicare rebate applies). All fees are explained before any procedure. [Confirm billing model – if medically indicated removals are bulk billed, state plainly.]
No – book directly with OJ Clinics, online or by phone. Serving Toowoomba, East Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.
Got a Lesion That Bothers You?
Whether it’s a skin tag that catches, a spot that’s changed, or a lesion you’ve been told needs removing – start with an assessment at OJ Clinics in Toowoomba. Your doctor will tell you what it is, whether it needs removing, and which technique fits. Book online or by phone; no referral needed.
