Special Techniques:

I try to be especially sensitive to children’s needs and that they may have an increased fear of medical procedures. I like to use topical numbing cream when it is reasonable and we try many distraction techniques, including letting children bring in their handheld electronic devices.  Playing games or videos can help decrease stress when having uncomfortable procedures done.

Numbing for Skin Surgery
Certain procedures require numbing medicine, sometimes in the form of an injection. This does burn and sting but only for a short time (seconds). Removing warts with electrodessication (a type of burn) and curettage (a scooping or scraping technique) usually requires local anesthetic, a numbing shot. Removing moles or birthmarks also requires local anesthetic. After the numbing medicine is injected, there should be no more pain.

Skin Surgery – Reducing Scars
I use many techniques to reduce the appearance of scars. We take stitches out early on the face to eliminate leaving stitch marks. I use dissolving stitches under the skin to reduce the size and appearance of scars. Children should decrease strenuous activity while the surgical site is healing, to give it the best possible chance to heal. Another easy thing to do, that helps reduce scarring significantly, is to protect the healing area from the sun by consistently using sunscreen.  Finally, using silicone scar tape on a surgical wound every day for 12 weeks also helps reduce scarring.