SURGICAL PROCEDURESÂ LOS ANGELES
La Paz Medical & Dental Group offers a number of minor surgical procedures for cosmetic ailments.
Wart Removal
Warts are small, hard, non-cancerous growths that are caused by a type of virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV often spreads through skin contact, and is more likely to infect damaged skin. Having a chronic skin disease or a weak immune system is a high risk factor for HPV infection. While HPV itself isn’t curable, you can see a doctor to remove the wart. Common treatments include:
Salicylic acid: These peel away the outer layers of a wart until it is gone.
Cryotherapy: Applying liquid nitrogen to freeze off the wart.
Surgical curettage: Cutting away the wart, which may leave a scar.
Laser treatment: Vaporizes the infected tissue, and is less likely to leave a scar.
INGROWN TOENAIL
An ingrown toenail is a condition where the nail grows into the skin of the toe. This is often painful and might require medical treatment, especially if the pierced skin becomes swollen or infected. Ingrown toenails are more likely to affect people with sweaty feet and thick toenails or people with diabetes and other circulation issues. Putting pressure on your feet for lengthy periods, such as playing ball sports or wearing tight footwear, also increases your risk.
There are several options for treatment, including:
Nail lifting: Here, the doctor lifts the nail edge from the skin and places cotton underneath it. This encourages the nail to grow above the skin again.
Partial nail removal: For this procedure, the doctor may numb your toe and remove the ingrown part of the nail.
Full nail removal: If you proceed with this option, the doctor will first inject the toe with an anesthetic, and then remove the entire nail.
STITCHES
Skin that is deeply cut or punctured will likely require stitches. Surgical threads are used to hold together the injured skin until it heals, after which the stitches are removed. Getting stitches is mostly painless. Not only that, but it helps the wound heal with minimal risk of scarring or infection. Getting stitches is a simple two-step process:
The doctor cleans the wound and possibly applies a local anesthetic.
The doctor removes any extra debris or dead tissue.
The doctor stitches together each side of the cut until the wound is closed.
You’ll also receive instructions for how to care for your stitches after the procedure is complete. Once the required healing time has passed, the doctor’s office will call you back to have the stitches removed.
SKIN TAGS
Skin tags are harmless, noncancerous tumors that form on the skin. They commonly occur in areas where the skin rubs against itself, such as the neck, armpit, groin or eyelid. Tags are easily irritated by shaving, and can get caught in jewellery. Though skin tags are harmless, some people choose to have them removed for cosmetic reasons. We recommend seeing a health care professional for this procedure to reduce the risk of bleeding or infection.
Here are some of the treatment options available:
Cauterization: The skin tag is burned off.
Cryosurgery: The skin tag is frozen off using liquid nitrogen.
Surgical curettage: The skin tag is cut off with a scalpel.
CIRCUMCISION
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis. The procedure is usually performed on babies 1-8 days after birth. But older children and men also undergo this procedure for a variety of medical (e.g. phimosis) or non-medical (e.g. religious) reasons. The procedure is performed as follows:
The penis is cleaned and then numbed with an anaesthetic.
The foreskin is surgically removed.
The remaining skin on the shaft is stitched to the glans with dissolvable stitches.
Upon completion, you will receive instructions on how to recover from the procedure.
Our practice also offers general physical exams, chronic disease management, and other medical and dental services.