Surgical Complications

Dermatologic surgery is advancing at a very rapid pace. New procedures are being introduced and older techniques are being used for new applications every day, for both therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Complications in dermatologic surgery are rare, but as in all surgical procedures, there is always the risk of associated side effects.

These potential side effects can be divided into intraoperative and postoperative complications. Intraoperative complications include bleeding, damage to vital organs, nerve injuries, allergic reactions to anesthetics, and electrocautery-associated complications. Postoperative complications include contact dermatitis, infection, chondritis, wound dehiscence, necrosis of the skin, suture spitting, suture tracking, excessive granulation tissue, non-healing wounds, pigment change, and scars/keloids. In this article, these surgical complications and their management will be covered.