Melanoma Removal Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have melanoma removal, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Incomplete removal of all cancerous cells
• Recurrence or spread of cancer
• Nerve damage
• Scarring

Call Your Doctor

After arriving home, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or any discharge from the incision site
• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
• A new lump or discoloration in your skin, or a change (such as color, bleeding, itching, growth) in an already-existing mole, either at the surgical site or in a new location
• Any other new or concerning symptoms

In case of emergency, call 911.