Electrodesiccation

Otherwise known as "scraping and burning," electrodessication uses a scraping instrument (curet) and electrical currents to destroy and burn a skin cancer under local anesthesia. The abnormal area is treated along with a rim of surrounding skin called a safety margin. Electrodesiccation is usually a fast and simple outpatient procedure, taking 10 to 20 minutes. Several passes are performed, resulting in a shallow wound that heals by itself after several weeks.

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Electrodesiccation is effective for small and superficial skin cancers. The extent of skin cancers, and whether they might be small enough to treat with electrodesiccation, is determined by a biopsy. The curet allows a physician to "feel" the extent of skin cancer involvement, as skin cancer tissue is often more friable, or crumbly feeling, and easily scraped, compared with normal skin. Electrodesiccation is convenient for both the physician and the patient because there is less activity restriction than with other surgeries.

More than most techniques for skin cancer, the effectiveness of electrodesiccation greatly relates to the physician's experience. A wound from electrodesiccation may take many weeks to heal, depending on the wound's size, depth, and location. During that time, the patient needs to perform wound care. The scar that results from electrodesiccation is often white, shiny, and occasionally thick to touch, which may or may not be a problem depending on location and personal preference.