I'm gonna have minor surgery. Anybody here ever had scalp cysts removed?

[SaltBoy]

I went and visisted the doctor today to find out why I have two lumps on my head. The lumps aren't big, but they're kind of a nuisance and even one of them is somewhat painful. After taking a look, the doc said that they were cysts and that I can have them removed through a simple surgical procedure.

I'm wanting to get rid of the cysts ASAP, so I signed up to have the procedure take place a week from today. Apparently, the doctor will make an incision where the cyst is and then "pop" the cyst out. Sounds gross, yet cool. Hmmm...

Have any of you gone through something similar?

 

[Kev]

bump

 

[radioouman]

Yep, I've known two people that I have them and had them removed. Not a big deal apparently, although you are likely to have more in the future.

 

[SaltBoy]

Originally posted by: Kev
bump

Uhh... thanks for the bump.

 

[waylman]

its REALLY painful! OMG, it was the worst thing I have ever gone through in my entire life!!!!!


























j/k

 

[Michael]

Yes.

Scalps bleed like crazy.

You want a surgeon that does tons of these to make the incision as small as possible so, when your hair starts to fade away, you don't look like someone hacked you to pieces.

They'll keep coming and it is better to do it sooner rather than later as they grow and grow.

Michael

 

[Geekbabe]

Yeah,had that problem when I was 10,turned out to be some sort of calcium deposit that hardened into rock,lol,rocks in my head.It was no big deal though,healed right up and they only see evidence of it when they do x-rays. Btw mine never reoccurred.

 

[new2AMD]

how does one get these? or should I say NOT get these?

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: SaltBoy
I went and visisted the doctor today to find out why I have two lumps on my head. The lumps aren't big, but they're kind of a nuisance and even one of them is somewhat painful. After taking a look, the doc said that they were cysts and that I can have them removed through a simple surgical procedure.

I'm wanting to get rid of the cysts ASAP, so I signed up to have the procedure take place a week from today. Apparently, the doctor will make an incision where the cyst is and then "pop" the cyst out. Sounds gross, yet cool. Hmmm...

Have any of you gone through something similar?

I wouldn't say the "pop" the cyst "out", they lance them and empty out all of the puss. Sometimes the remove the covering aroudn the cyst.

 

[Michael]

They tend to be genetic.

they run in the family. My dad had them and I get them.

Every 3-4 years I get 1 or 2 more taken out.

No big deal.

Michael

 

[SaltBoy]

Originally posted by: new2AMD
how does one get these? or should I say NOT get these?

I have no idea how I got them. I thought originally that they were zits on my scalp (yes, ewww...), but they never went away no matter how much I pushed and prodded them.

 

[Ryan]

http://www.kaisersantaclara.org/downloads/cysts.pdf

 

[kage69]

I had a subaceous cyst removed from my back, right above my waist. It wasn't that bad, except I went right back into aikido 2 days afterward and tore my stitches. The scar is just damn ugly now, I really wish I had just stayed home.
Had another one removed from my jawline a year later, they did a great job, can't tell anything was there, no scar or anything.

 

[jadinolf]

My dad had two golf ball sized cysts removed.

Can't believe he put off the surgery for years.

Had it done in the doctor's office.

No problems.

 

[spdrus]

I've literally just had this done less than 2 hours ago. I was so nervous but I got through it! I literally said if I ever have this done I will try to put others at ease. I had it done by a dermatologist. Several needles of numbing agents were all that was required. First couple pinched a bit. After that not bad. Had a rather large cyst removed from scalp. Please be brave like a scaredy cat like me and just do it!!!

 

[JM Aggie08]

I've had two removed. Super simple procedure -- in and out in 30 minutes. Literally just sat on his stool in one of his exam rooms and he knocked it out.

They look like garlic cloves -- super nasty, but interesting.

 

[spdrus]

Just to follow up my comment above and some other comments. My dermatologist said they remove these cysts intact if possible and try to get the sack so they don't recur. Now I had a subcutaneous cyst on my scalp removed. I am not sure if others are talking about a surface cyst when they mention lancing it etc. For the subcutaneous cysts sometimes called sebaceous or pilar cysts I think when under the scalp I believe they have to do the procedure I just had where they go under the skin and remove the cyst intact. I'll try to post updates as I go through the healing process. One thing is that it's possible the cyst might recur. I would love to hear from anyone who had this procedure done awhile ago. Did your cyst recur? Has it stayed away? Please ask me anything!

 

[spdrus]

I went and visisted the doctor today to find out why I have two lumps on my head. The lumps aren't big, but they're kind of a nuisance and even one of them is somewhat painful. After taking a look, the doc said that they were cysts and that I can have them removed through a simple surgical procedure.

I'm wanting to get rid of the cysts ASAP, so I signed up to have the procedure take place a week from today. Apparently, the doctor will make an incision where the cyst is and then "pop" the cyst out. Sounds gross, yet cool. Hmmm...

Have any of you gone through something similar?

Yes. Just had this done today. Whole thing took less than 20 minutes. Just did two posts about it. Ask me anything

 

[spdrus]

There are some scary and negative comments above. I am so sorry for anyone who experienced a lot of pain. My experience was more like a filling replacement. A few needles that pinched and then numbness. Comments like those above are what made me put this off for so long. Here's a technique I learned called transference of pain. When I have something that might be painful done to me that I can't control like a medical procedure on my scalp, I pinch one arm or hand with the other. I can transfer the pain to another part of my body where I am in control of how much pain I inflict.

 

[shortylickens]

I've literally just had this done less than 2 hours ago. I was so nervous but I got through it! I literally said if I ever have this done I will try to put others at ease. I had it done by a dermatologist. Several needles of numbing agents were all that was required. First couple pinched a bit. After that not bad. Had a rather large cyst removed from scalp. Please be brave like a scaredy cat like me and just do it!!!

I'm pretty dermatology has had minor advancements in the last 17 years.

Also, welcome to the forums.

 

[spdrus]

I'm pretty dermatology has had minor advancements in the last 17 years.

Also, welcome to the forums.

Yes. Thank you

 

[brianmanahan]

I had a subaceous cyst removed from my back, right above my waist. It wasn't that bad, except I went right back into aikido 2 days afterward and tore my stitches. The scar is just damn ugly now, I really wish I had just stayed home.
Had another one removed from my jawline a year later, they did a great job, can't tell anything was there, no scar or anything.

how are you doing these days?

 

[BudAshes]

I've had two removed. Super simple procedure -- in and out in 30 minutes. Literally just sat on his stool in one of his exam rooms and he knocked it out.

They look like garlic cloves -- super nasty, but interesting.

Grate them into your pasta fazool for some added zest!

 

[nOOky]

I had a huge one removed from my back. It required a surgeon because it went into some tissue that they were worried might be problematic just digging around in in an office setting. It was painless, just a little tugging. I suspect the worst part for you will be the initial sting of the numbing agent.

 

[PingSpike]

I had a subaceous cyst removed from my back, right above my waist. It wasn't that bad, except I went right back into aikido 2 days afterward and tore my stitches. The scar is just damn ugly now, I really wish I had just stayed home.
Had another one removed from my jawline a year later, they did a great job, can't tell anything was there, no scar or anything.

I had one of these removed from my midback in January and it ended up being somewhat of an ordeal. I'd had it for years, then it became inflamed and painful. The doctor scheduled like 1 hour total to remove it, and despite having a med student there to assist it took like two hours to remove or something! The local wouldn't take since it was so swollen the injection wouldn't "soak up" so when he started I was in agony. He had to have the nurse get another bottle of the stuff and a fan since he was sweating like a pig.

It was initially billed as I'd be in only mild pain for a couple days and no restrictions. I was actually in quite a lot of pain for 2-3 days, but after that it cleared up except when I stretched (not exercise, just reaching) I seemed to rip something a week later.

Finally, I had switched to using a maxi pad on my back because so much fluid was draining from it. I went in to get the stitches removed and this moron replaces my maxi pad with a little band aid. Ruined my shirt and I had to go home from work early because blood came pouring out of it an hour later. A few weeks after this the incision failed entirely, leaving a gaping occasionally oozing hole in my back.

It took about 3 months in the end to re-heal from secondary intention (from the inside out). Its just an ugly sometimes pink scar now, itches sometimes and occasionally has tiny scabs in it (I think the tight scar tissue occasionally re-tears with stretching movements...I don't even notice, maybe some itching).

My advice here is to probably have some one who is good at these remove them. Also try to get air on it when it heals, but I couldn't really do that because I had to wear a shirt at work and a gory hole isn't exactly something you want to lie against the couch with.