Cyst removal

What a cyst is

Epidermoid and pilar cysts are benign sacs lined with skin cells that produce keratin. They are not dangerous, but they enlarge slowly, can become inflamed or infected, and are often uncomfortable where clothing or a hairbrush catches them.

The lining is the reason they recur. Squeezing or incising a cyst empties the contents but leaves the sac behind, and it refills. Definitive treatment means removing the wall in one piece.

The procedure

Under local anaesthetic, a small incision is made over the cyst and the sac is dissected free and lifted out intact where possible. The cavity is closed with sutures. The specimen is sent for examination to confirm the diagnosis.

A cyst that is actively inflamed or infected is usually not the right candidate for immediate excision — the tissue planes are obscured and the recurrence rate is higher. In that situation the inflammation is settled first and removal is planned for a few weeks later. Being told to wait is sometimes the better clinical answer.

Recovery

Some soreness and bruising for several days. Sutures out at one to two weeks. Avoid heavy exercise and swimming until the wound is sealed.

Risks and limitations

No treatment is without risk, and you are entitled to the full picture before you decide rather than a summary afterwards. These are discussed with you individually at consultation, in the context of your own history.

• A scar, which will be longer than the cyst itself
• Recurrence, particularly if the cyst was previously inflamed or ruptured
• Infection or bleeding
• Bruising and temporary firmness under the skin as it heals

Where you would be seen

Consultations and minor skin surgery take place at CLNQ Manchester on the ground floor of the South Tower at Deansgate Square, and at CLNQ Knutsford on King Street in Cheshire. Patients travel from across Greater Manchester and Cheshire — Altrincham, Hale, Bowdon, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Didsbury are all within easy reach of one or other site.

Where a lesion needs a theatre rather than a treatment room, the procedure is arranged at Deansgate Hospital, a CQC-registered private hospital a few minutes away in Manchester city centre. Any specimen requiring histology goes to a UK histopathology laboratory and the result is discussed with you directly.

• CLNQ Manchester — Deansgate Square 11 Owen Street, Manchester M15 4YB Ground floor of the South Tower at Deansgate Square, Manchester city centre.
• CLNQ Knutsford — Cheshire 49-51 King Street, Knutsford WA16 6DX King Street, Knutsford, serving Cheshire and the surrounding area.
• Deansgate Hospital Madison House, 37 Little Peter Street, Manchester M15 4QJ CQC-registered private hospital in Manchester city centre, for procedures needing a theatre.

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