Mum 87 wide skin excision suspected amelanotic melanoma

Hi Anna33 and a very warm welcome to the group which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

I was diagnosed with amelanotic melanoma nearly 9 years ago now, but hopefully your mum's will not turn out to be melanoma.

My initial scar from the excision biopsy, which is what your mum's just had, was about 2 inches long. The stitches were removed a week later, although I think that more often than not they use dissolvable stitches nowadays.

I was told to leave the dressing on and to avoid getting the area wet (mine was on the back of my arm) until the wound had healed so as to avoid the risk of infection. This meant no showers or baths for a week.

Once the wound had healed I gently massaged it daily with E45. 

It's disappointing that the nurse attending the surgeon didn't tell your mum what to do with the dressings and how to look after the wound. She/he should also have explained things to look out for, such as signs of infection or bleeding. If your mum has any problems, it is important she contacts the hospital for advice.

How long has your mum been told it will be before she gets her results?

• Hello - thank you so much for your reply. We weren’t told when we would get the results. I was in the room with Mum and people were talking over each other. I do have a care sheet to guide me - she has to leave it on for 5 days before removal then use Vaseline on the wound on her back. I am really grateful for your advice - I think everything has moved so quickly I was just panicking a little. Wishing you good health - thank you again so very much.

That's good to hear that you do have a care sheet. I thought it was a bit odd that your mum hadn't been given any care instructions.

I hope your mum doesn't have to wait too long for her results, but you should prepare that it can take anywhere between 2-8 weeks depending on how busy the pathology laboratories are in your area of the country.

Let me know how she gets on

Anne