Electrodessication & Curettage

What is an Electrodessication and Curettage? 

Electrodessication

Electrodesiccation and Curettage (ED&C) is a minor surgical procedure used for superficial basal or squamous skin cancers. It does not involve sutures or stitches. The area is sterilized and numbed with local anesthetic. A curette (spoon-shaped tool) is used to scrape away the skin cancer.

​The surgeon then heats the surface with a cautery (electrodessication) to control bleeding and destroy more cancerous cells. This cycle is repeated 2-3 times to ensure the skin cancer has been removed. Healing typically takes a few weeks depending on size, location, and quality of post-surgery wound care.

You will be given detailed wound care instructions and a follow-up appointment to check wound healing. Activity restrictions are less strict than other surgical procedures.