Sebaceous cyst, also known as skin cysts are hardened, fluid-filled bumps within the skin.
It refers to either epidermoid cyst or pilar cyst which originates from the skin and hair follicles respectively.
Since, neither actually originates from the sebaceous gland, referring to the cysts and ‘sebaceous’ can be misleading.
Skin cysts are painless, noncancrous, they usually do no cause problems.
Signs and Symptoms of Sebaceous cyst
Common sites of sebaceous cysts include the scalp, ears, back, face and upper arm and they can occur anywhere in the body except the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
The main symptom of a sebaceous cyst is a small lump under the skin. The lump is usually not painful. In some cases, however, cysts can get inflamed and become tender to the touch. The skin on the area of the cyst may be red and/or warm. Drainage from the cyst will appear grayish-white and cheese-like, and will have a foul smell.
Sebaceous Cyst Removal Surgery
A sebaceous cyst that has been surgically removed.
Usually, removal of sebaceous cyst is not necessary, unless they become painful or restrict movement.
With surgery, a cyst can usually be excised in its entirety. Poor surgical technique, or previous infection leading to scarring and tethering of the cyst to the surrounding tissue, may lead to rupture during excision and removal. A completely removed cyst will not recur, though if the patient has a predisposition to cyst formation, further cysts may develop in the same general area.
Surgical excision of a sebaceous cyst is a simple procedure to completely remove the sac and its contents.
Depending on the size of the cyst and the surgeons’ preferred choice, there are three surgical methods to remove sebaceous cyst including
- Traditional wide excision
- Minimal excision
- Punch biopsy excision
More: Mohs Surgery
Sebaceous Cyst Removal Cost
The total cost for sebaceous cyst removal surgery depends on a lot of factors such as the anesthetic fee, private hospital fee, private operating facility fee, size of cyst, location of cyst and insurance coverage.
Most often than not, sebaceous cyst removal cost is considered a cosmetic procedure and as such is not something that is covered by insurance plans. Since each patient’s insurance coverage is different, it’s important to understand your plan in order to know how much, if any, of the surgery will be covered. For example, some patients may have high deductibles where insurance will cover only a small portion of the associated costs. On the other hand, some patients may have 80/20 plans where the insurance may cover a significant amount and the patient is only responsible for their copay.
Also, sebaceous cyst removal cost is usually higher for cysts located on the face than other parts of the body.
The total cost of the procedure is around $175 – $500.
More: Lipoma Removal Cost
