Your Biopsy Results
The sample goes to a pathology laboratory. Results are typically available within a few days. We'll send them to you, usually by text or secure message, and arrange a call or follow-up appointment if anything needs discussing or treating. A copy also goes to your regular GP.
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If treatment is needed, it can usually be done at SkinGP. See non-surgical treatments and surgical treatments.
Your Biopsy Aftercare
You'll go home with a written aftercare guide and spare dressings, covering how to look after the wound, what's normal as it heals, and what to do if you have pain or any concerns.
Aftercare depends on the size and location of the wound. For a small excision, that usually means keeping the area dry for the first few days and avoiding strenuous exercise for a couple of weeks; larger excisions, or those on areas that move or stretch such as the back or legs, may need longer. Your doctor will give you instructions specific to your procedure. If you have stitches, we'll book you back in at SkinGP to have them removed, timed to suit the size and location of the wound.
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Call the clinic if the area becomes increasingly red, hot, swollen or painful, or if you're worried about how it's healing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Procedure fees depend on the time and complexity involved. Your doctor will tell you the fee before going ahead, so there are no surprises. Pathology is included in SkinGP's procedure fee, so there's no separate bill from the lab. Medicare rebates on eligible procedures are processed on the spot, and concession fees apply for eligible patients. View all fees here >
You'll feel a brief sting from the local anaesthetic. After that, the area is numb, so you shouldn't feel pain during the procedure.
Typically a few days. We'll send your results, usually by text or secure message, and arrange a call or follow-up if anything needs discussing.
A partial biopsy usually leaves a small mark that fades. An excision biopsy leaves a fine line scar. Our doctors close wounds with care to minimise scarring.
Usually a biopsy is booked as a short follow-up appointment at the same clinic.
No. You can book directly with SkinGP.
No. Pathology is included in SkinGP's procedure fee.
It depends on the size and location of the wound. For a small excision, it's often the first few days. Your written aftercare guide will tell you exactly how long, and we'll give you spare dressings to take home.
Ready to
book your appointment?
No referral required. Book directly online via AutoMed or call us on (03) 9969 5000. New patients are welcome.
Being told you need a biopsy
It's natural to feel worried. But a biopsy doesn't mean your doctor has found cancer. It means they want certainty. Many biopsies come back benign, and finding out early gives you and your doctor more options.
The process itself is usually quicker and easier than people expect, with your doctor and our nursing team looking after everything in the clinic, from the procedure to dressings and aftercare.
Two types of biopsy
Partial biopsy. A small sample of tissue is taken from part of a larger spot. It's quick and minimally invasive, and the area typically heals within a few days.
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Excision biopsy. The whole spot is removed, usually with a few stitches to close the skin. Doctors use this when a spot looks suspicious, or when the pathologist needs the entire lesion to make an accurate diagnosis. Sometimes this both diagnoses and treats the problem in one step.
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Your doctor will explain which type suits your spot, and why. Biopsies are usually booked as their own short procedure appointment at the same clinic. A small excision typically takes around 20 to 30 minutes.
Skin biopsies: what happens and what to expect.
A skin biopsy is how a doctor gets a definite answer about a spot. A small sample, or the whole spot, is removed and sent to a pathology lab, where it's examined under a microscope to find out whether it's cancerous, pre-cancerous or harmless.
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At SkinGP, biopsies are done under local anaesthetic in the clinic, usually at a short follow-up appointment after your skin check.
YOUR BIOPSY APPOINTMENT
What happens on the day.
01
Your doctor explains the procedure and the fee, and answers your questions.
02
The area is cleaned and numbed with a local anaesthetic. You'll feel a small sting from the injection, then nothing sharp.
03
The sample is taken. For most biopsies, this takes only a few minutes.
04
The area is closed or dressed, and you're given aftercare instructions. Most people drive home and carry on with their day.