Having a mole removed: costs and reimbursement
HLN, 22 March 2023
Dr Griet Voet in HLN on having a mole removed: how the procedure works, scarring and the rules on reimbursement.
Prompted by Ruth Beeckmans, who had a mole removed from her face, dermatologists answer questions about the procedure in HLN. Dr Griet Voet explains how reimbursement by the health insurance fund works: it only covers part of the cost, and if you have several lesions removed from the same area, only one is reimbursed.
She also describes the procedure: most lesions are removed under local anaesthetic with a scalpel or a CO2 laser. If you take blood thinners, mention this beforehand. A scar is unavoidable when a lesion is cut out, but it can be treated further later on, for example with silicone gel or laser.
Finally, Dr Voet points to digital monitoring of moles: this lets you see quickly whether a spot is changing and therefore needs to be removed.
Key advice
Mention beforehand if you take blood thinners.
Always have moles that change checked by a dermatologist.
If you have a lot of moles, have them monitored digitally.
A scar after removal can still be treated later on.
“Every dermatologist is trained to remove a skin lesion” — Dr Griet Voet
Want to know more? Read about Dermatological surgery at Clinique Dermatologie Gent.