Anyone here ever had a sebaceous cyst removed?
 

A sebaceous cyst is just a harmless cyst that is basically filled with oil.

I have one that I want removed... I wanted to get conscious sedation for it, but the doctor claims it's a "minor procedure" and not really necessary... and that just regular aenaesthetic shots are enough

If you had one, did the anaesthetic shots hurt and how many shots did you receive? Were you able to feel the pressure when the doctor was squeezing or cutting it out? And does it hurt when they "pack" the hole? I heard that's the part that hurts the most and that you have to go back every few days to have the "packing" replaced. I read somewhere online where someone stated "it felt like getting stabbed"... Is this true ?

When it comes to stuff like this never believe what you read on the internet.

1 person out of 10million will post it felt like getting stabbed your mind will wander and you will believe it..

I too have a really hard time trusting my doctor... I love to hit google.. but it can drive you crazy..

leave the sebaceous cyst alone - men find them attractive.

I've had two of them removed. Of course, how painful it is, depends depends on what your tolerence level for pain is.

I'm a wimp for pain, and on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rank the worst of it as maybe a 4 or 5. On the second one, they didn't even need to use the local anesthetic, and it wasn't bad.
You'll feel the pressure or sensation as it's removed or drained or whatever, but if there's a local anesthetic, there's no real pain. Packing the incision is mildly unpleasant (again from the pressure), but very bearable.

All in all not a big deal. Both of mine were done right in the exam room, took maybe ~20 minutes.

I had a large sebaceous cyst on my back (about 3cm wide) for about 20 years and it was fine until it became infected. I went to the doctors thinking he would give me some antibiotics but instead he just removed it :( He gave me a couple of injections around the cyst and cut it out leaving a big hole and I didn't feel a thing. I felt some tugging but no pain at all.

But I did have to go back every day for a couple of months to have the wound cleaned to get rid of the infection. They did that without any anesthetic and it hurt like fuck.

I think if your cyst is not infected then you should have no pain, and it's probably a good idea to get it removed in case it ever does get infected.

Mine is already infected, they gave me antibiotics. It's like purplish/reddish now but I am not going to get it removed until the infection dies down. It doesn't hurt actually, it just feels sore. like a bruise would feel sore, but there's no pain.

I am really afraid of the packing... I don't have a high pain tolerance at all. When you said you needed the wound "cleaned", does that include "packing"? Why does it hurt when they clean it, what do they clean it with? Do they irrigate the inside of it?

This is gross but I read about it online and there are accounts that the contents of the cyst is really foul smelling and sometimes the doctors assistants what to pass out etc because of the foul smell. This is so disgusting. I can't believe I have this.

Look at this picture of a huge sebaceous cyst, it looks like an alien baby
http://scalpelorsword.blogspot.com/2...eous-cyst.html

My cyst is not visible btw, its hidden under clothes so no one can see it. It's just so disgusting.

This will be the first "surgical procedure" that I will be awake for. For everything else I had in the past I insisted they put me under "conscious sedation". I had this done for my wisdom teeth removal. It is amazing because I don't remember anything, I wasn't even awake for the shots in my mouth, except for the IV in my hand (which did hurt).

But for this experience I am going to be awake and it's just gross, I am going to be able to hear them tinker with their "scalpels" etc and I will be able to hear everything. It's just scary. My doctor said she never heard of anyone getting "conscious sedation" for a sebaceous cyst removal. I guess because it's considered "minor".

She told me I will also need stitches. I never had stitches before in my life.

http://www.stanford.edu/class/humbio...lifecycle.html
http://www.stanford.edu/class/humbio...mages/USDA.png
;x

Thats not what I have. A sebaceous cyst is just filled with oil and puss.

Thats freakin disgusting! I dont have that! My cyst is filled with oil, not a larvae! Thats sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oops, I didn't realise yours was already infected. I'm not sure what 'packing' is but when I had the wound cleaned they would scrape out any infection and then use what I think they said was some kind of acid to wash the wound.

Maybe where you live they give an anesthetic when they clean the wound. I'm English but I was living in rural Germany at the time and am not sure if the experience might have been better in another country.

As for the procedure, like I said it was completely painless for me and luckily on my back so I couldn't see what they were doing :)

I'm in California in America, I hope it doesn't hurt when they clean the wound... I read a lot about sebaceous cyst and I haven't heard anyone mention it being washed with some acid, that sounds very intense.

Packing is putting gauze or a wick like material inside after they remove the cyst... I think its to prevent the skin from closing together too soon.

Oh gosh, I read this painful. I should take some vicodin before I go get it packed but then I will be impaired to drive... I guess I will have to do with ibuprofen or something.

If your really worried about the "packing pain", just ask them for some topical anesthesia when they do it. Most will have zero problem using a common liquid to numb a wound first.

Cleaning typically would involve just common IV grade water. They could use a small topical like iodine, betadine, or one of many standard wound cleaners. When it comes to any "acids" he is speaking of such stuff as ascorbic acid (dakins solution) and so forth. Typically just sterile water with a very minor amount of vinegar (dakins) or bleach (not as common any more. was a small amount per gallon). This type of stuff is used if you have necrotic tissue. Odds are you would not have any of that at all.

They pack it with gauze to prevent to much granulation at to great of a speed. Layman's terms is they do not want the flesh to grow back faster than the skin tissue does. Otherwise you could end up with a small mound of flesh above the wound line. Packing pretty much prevents that. Not as you think of the skin closing to soon.

If you rate an blood draw at a 5 out of 1-10 then you would rate packing at about a 2. Personally I think it is a 0 myself but well some people have issues with anything they can translate into pain.

I would just stop reading about others experiences and stop with the personal research. Your going to make it so much worse than it really is due to nerves.

This is no fun, gl man...

Thread starter is not male.

Ok, thanks... Blood draw is not fun for me either :( It hurts when they suck it out, it aches. You are spot on about the granulation, that's what I read too...

You don't have to correct in the future of people mistake me for a guy, I like people to think I am one.

I do not mind blood draws but I know they are something that most can relate to. I get the whole not liking the feeling of the suction. Personally blood draws are not at all painful to me. Though for example I know that I dislike the feeling of an IV coming out more than I care about it going in.

I honestly have lost track of the number of surgeries I have had. I think if you count locals (not knocking you out) it must be in the 40-50 range, could be more. If you add in procedures like "packing" then well just add a bunch of zero's to that. Yes I have had to deal with wound treatment for years at a time on occasion with 3-4 packing's a day. It really is no big deal at all and I can think of many things that are so much way worse than "packing of a wound".

Sorry about your surgeries. I guess my thing is minor then and should just suck it up and get it over with just local aenaesthetic. Sedation is probably overkill. I just read online that "packing" can be painful but I could be just psyching myself out.

Also, thankfully I have Vicodin still saved from my widsdom teeth surgery. If it gets bad I can always use those. I am SO glad I saved those. I probably won't need them, but just in case...

No need to be sorry. Better me dealing with this shit than someone else.

If your even slightly worried about it, again just ask for a topical anaesthetic. Takes just a few seconds to slightly numb the area. Only downside is that it is often room temp so it will feel cold then numb.

I have read plenty of stories online where I swear some people describe getting a splinter removed is the most painful thing ever or something along those lines.

Ok, I will ask for topical. The topical is just to numb it so they can inject the rest of the anaesthetic right? My cyst is big, I think it will need shots. I procrastinated getting it removed and it's big now.

No you ask for the topical when they do the packing part you are afraid of.

When they want to drain and remove your cyst they will use a few shots to numb the area. Just do not premedicate for that. If you do you would either have to lie about it which would be stupid or you could end up limiting options to help your comfort etc. Just let them do their jobs. Honestly they are pretty damn good at making you not feel shit aside from a small amount of pressure etc.

My mother had one on the back of her scalp....they just drained it and that was it.

I once had a sebaceous cyst removed with a electrocautery device at the dermatologist's office -- nice and painless (after the topical anesthetic of course).

I got like 8 of those fuckers in my feet in Paraguay, hurt like fuck!

I only had local for my fucking vasectomy and it was fine, I think you can deal with this no problem.

Ewww, I just found this on youtube https://youtube.com/watch?v=DZKBIcQu9wA

Yes, but I'm scared of blood, anything cutting into my skin and stitches. Just being awake will be terrifying.

omg, there are so many videos on youtube showing the removal of sebaceous cyst, WTF
https://youtube.com/watch?v=kmWS5jGnKjE
Look at that needle going in, that looks painful! My cyst is bigger then his too, its bigger! im scared :(

https://youtube.com/results?searc...t&search_type=

This is sick!

Some of the self operated ones are wicked. Does not look painful, just well interesting.

That one is particularly interesting.

I saw that one, its disturbing! It wasnt even done by a doctor. wtf . sick.

What is that stuff coming out? Is that blood? It looks brown, the contents of a sebaceous cyst is supposed to be white and cheesy...

Why are the people laughing? Its not funny! Doesnt it hurt? They are doing it with no anaesthetic! doesnt that hurt??

The other one of the guy on a deck with the guy and girl using a steak knife to remove his while he sat there drinking a beer was pretty cool too. Though his puss seemed more connected as they had to pull a chunk out when they were done squirting it.

How do you get one, they sort of look interesting now. I remember a tiny bump on the back of my arm once. Thought maybe a thorn had gotten embedded in it or something as it was sort and the bump was about the size of a pencil eraser in height and about a nickle in diameter. We was on a drive up north when I found it, I was the passenger. So I played with it some and then poked it with a needle I had burnt with a lighter. Right after that I squeezed it and it was like the ultimate zip. Just kept going and going for a bit. Did not hurt much, about same as a zit anyways. Left a small tiny hole in my arm that I slapped some neosporin on and a band aid and it was healed a day or so latter.

My guess would be the color change would mean it was infected while it was being removed. Had it been not infected or they did a course of antibiotics I am sure it would of been more of a white to yellow in color. Infections just make strange colors and bad smells.

I know when I popped my arm it was white. I just never knew what it could of been until now. I honestly thought I had gotten a sticker in my arm, and that it was getting a lot of standard white blood cell puss in and around it.

Oh... I see. I just assumed all cyst materials where cheesy, whether infected or not. I am on antibiotics right now. I also use a hot compress which is supposed to help. I also read that castor oil packs can help. Mine is infected and inflamed. It's disgusting... It feels sore but I don't mind. I'd rather have a huge infected sore cyst for 30 days versus taking a blood test because to me that hurts more.

From looking at the vids I guess it really is considered minor surgery and that I won't need to be put asleep for it. It's still gross though.

It just grows by itself. I should have had it removed when it was normal. I was too scared and now it's infected.

omg, this guy had some chick cut it open with a steak knife and look at all that cheese coming out!