Usually you will begin by seeing your GP (family doctor) who will examine you and, if necessary, arrange for you to see a doctor who specialises in skin conditions (a dermatologist) or a surgeon. 

In many cases, when they examine the whole mole, the specialist will be able to see if it is benign or malignant. However, if they are not sure, they may suggest an excision biopsy.

Giving your consent

Before your surgery, your doctor will explain the aims of the treatment to you. You will usually be asked to sign a form saying that you give your permission (consent) for the mole to be removed. The doctors or specialist nurse should discuss any possible side effects of the treatment, such as the risk of bleeding or scarring.

Excision biopsy

The whole mole is removed, using a local anaesthetic, and the wound is closed using stitches. The stitches are removed after 7–14 days. The mole is examined under the microscope by a pathologist to see if any melanoma cells are present. You will normally get the results within a week. If it is a melanoma, further surgery, known as a wide local excision, will usually be done. The wide local excision makes sure that all the melanoma cells in the area have been removed.

Wide local excision

The surgeon removes a small amount (margin) of normal-looking tissue all around the area where the melanoma was. This is needed to make sure that no melanoma cells have been left behind.

The surgery is normally done under local anaesthetic in the day surgery unit but may sometimes be done under general anaesthetic. Often, at least 1cm of skin will be removed all around the melanoma. The area will look red and sore at first, but over a few weeks it will gradually fade and become less obvious.

Occasionally, a wider area of skin is removed and the surgeon may need to do a skin graft.

Skin graft

If you need a skin graft, the surgeon will take a layer of skin from another part of your body called the donor site (usually the thigh area) and put it over the wound. The thickness of skin taken depends on the depth of the area to be covered. The area will be covered with a dressing. This is normally left undisturbed for a few days and is then checked to make sure the wound is healing properly.

The dressings on the donor site will also be checked regularly. You may have some pain or soreness for a few days after your operation. Your doctor will prescribe painkillers for you.

After the surgery mentioned above, most people need no further treatment.