Advanced Sebaceous Cyst Surgery At An Affordable Cost

Pristyn Care provides best-in-class treatment for sebaceous cysts. We employ the traditional and modern techniques as required to remove sebaceous cysts successfully. You can get treatment at our clinics or our partnered hospitals. Our treatment centers have state-of-the-art facilities and USFDA-approved diagnostic and surgical tools. 

We have a highly experienced team of plastic surgeons who are well-trained in all types of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. You can consult them and discuss the treatment options in detail.

Diagnosis

A trained doctor can identify sebaceous cysts solely on the basis of their appearance. Still, after physically examining the cyst, the doctor will suggest some pathological tests to confirm that the lump is a sebaceous cyst and not any other type of cyst.

The tests that help the doctor accurately diagnose a sebaceous cyst are:

• Ultrasound helps to determine the contents (liquid or semi-solid) of the cyst. 
• A punch biopsy is done to examine the cyst and look for signs of cancer. 
• CT scan is done if the doctor thinks that surgery will be required to remove the sebaceous cyst.

This test will help the surgeon to find the best path to access the cyst without damaging the nerves and surrounding muscles. Furthermore, it also helps to identify any abnormalities with the cyst.

Procedure

Before the surgery begins, local or general anesthesia will be used to numb the specific body part or entire body. Once the anesthesia takes effect, the surgeon proceeds to remove the cyst.

• An incision is made around the cyst (or a laser is used to create a hole) depending on the technique that is being used for the removal. 
• The cyst contents are drained completely. After drainage, the surgeon removes the cyst wall or sac. If the cyst wall or sac is not removed, it will increase the chances of cyst recurrence. Sometimes, the cyst wall becomes fragmented and needs to be scraped out. If necessary, the surgeon may use an electro-cauterization tool to destroy the cyst wall completely. 
• Then the incision is closed through stitches, glue, or bandage, whichever is suitable and left to heal.

The entire procedure takes around 30 minutes, and the patient gets discharged on the same day.

To prepare you for sebaceous cyst removal surgery, the doctor will ask you to get tested to evaluate your overall health. Other than this, the doctor may suggest that you:

• Stop smoking or drinking alcohol 
• Don’t press or try to pop the cyst 
• Avoid wearing any kind of makeup 
• Keep the insurance papers in hand 
• Avoid eating at least 8 hours before the surgery

Besides that, there is no specific preparation required before the surgery. The anesthetist will ask about your allergies on priority to determine if some component of the anesthesia may have a negative effect on your body. 

The doctor will also suggest standard tests, such as liver function, blood test, blood pressure examination, etc., to ensure that you are not stressing over the surgery.

During the Surgery

Regardless of the technique used for the treatment of sebaceous cysts, there are the same levels of risks and complications. These potential risks associated with surgery are:

• Anesthesia reactions such as malignant hyperthermia
• Bleeding during surgery 
• Blood clots formation 
• Injury during the surgery 
• Numbness or tingling sensation in the region 

To ensure that such complications don’t arise, the anesthetist first asks the patient for potential allergies. Besides that, the doctor uses modern surgical instruments approved by USFDA to safely carry out the procedure. 

After the Surgery 

Post-surgery, some complications that may arise include:

• Infection 
• Swelling and bruising 
• Scarring 
• Delayed healing 
• Cyst recurrence 

Normally, these complications can be avoided successfully if you pay attention to the doctor’s advice and take the prescribed medications.

Immediately after the surgery, you will be under observation for a few hours, during which your vitals will be monitored. Once the anesthesia wears out, you will be transferred to your room. 

The doctor will suggest that you take proper rest on the first day. There may be some bruising or swelling around the surgical site, which will disappear within a few days.

Before you leave the hospital, the doctor will create a recovery guide that consists of a diet plan as well. This will help you to recover quickly and smoothly after the surgery.

If a sebaceous cyst is left untreated for a long time, it will eventually lead to the following complications:

• Inflammation- There is a possibility that even when the cyst is not infected, it may become tender or swollen. And an inflamed cyst is harder to remove. 
• Rupture- It is also possible that the cyst develops a boil-like infection and may rupture or burst. Due to this, the contents of the cyst will leak out and may infect the skin as well. 
• Infection- If an abscess forms inside the cyst, it can become infected and start causing pain. 
• Skin Cancer- In rare cases, the cyst may become cancerous and spread to other healthy tissues. 

In all these scenarios, you will have to seek immediate help from a plastic surgeon to get the cyst removed.

The results of sebaceous cyst surgery will be clearly visible after the procedure. As the cyst grows outside the skin, after the removal, the skin will be flat again.

As the minimally invasive technique is used for removal, the recovery will also be quick. It will take around 1 week to heal after the surgery. You should pay attention to the doctor’s advice and follow the tips below to recover quickly:

• There is no need to take special precautions with diet unless advised by the doctor.
• Avoid driving on the day of surgery, as you will be given anesthesia on the day, and the after-effects will still linger after you are discharged.
• Don’t engage in strenuous physical activities until approved by your doctor.
• Keep the bandage dry and clean the surrounding area. If you are guided to change the bandages yourself, make sure that you follow the instructions carefully and clean the wound.
• Take the pain medications as directed by the doctor.
• Talk to the doctor if you wish to take other over-the-counter [OTC] pain medications.
• Visit the doctor for follow-ups as instructed without any delay.

The alternative to surgical removal of the sebaceous cyst is using steroids or doing a needle aspiration. The steroids will address the inflammation in the cyst and provide relief from the symptoms. However, it won’t remove the cyst completely.

The same problem exists with needle aspiration of the cyst. This technique will drain the components of the cyst, but the cyst wall will still be left behind, which will increase the chances of recurrence. 

On 7th September 2021, a patient named Rohin Ahuja (name changed) booked an appointment with Pristyn Care, complaining that he had a big lump above his lips. He consulted Dr. Ashwani Kumar and found out that he had a sebaceous cyst. After finding out what the lump actually was, Rohin was eager to get it removed. Thus, the doctor suggested some tests, and after looking at the results, he confirmed that it was safe to remove the cyst. The lump wasn’t cancerous and wasn’t even inflamed or infected. Therefore, there was no reason to delay the removal. 

As the cyst wasn’t very large, the surgery took around 20 minutes. The doctor used a minimal excision technique to ensure that the removal didn’t leave a scar on the face. The surgery was successful, and the patient was sent home the next morning. He came back for a follow-up after a week, and the wound had already healed around then. It has been a month since the surgery, and his scar has also almost disappeared. He is happy and satisfied with his results.