Health Library

Hemangioma excision - series

Indications

Hemangiomas are the most common type of benign blood-vessel growths that occur in infants and children. They are frequently located on the face, but can occur anywhere. Most appear within the first few weeks of birth, and most regress within a few years. Large or disfiguring hemangiomas, or hemangiomas that fail to regress, require surgical removal.

Procedure

While the infant is deep asleep and pain-free (using general anesthesia), the hemangioma is removed. If the hemangioma is large, the site is covered with a skin graft.

Aftercare

Cosmetic repair depends on the size of the lesion and the surgeon's skill. Generally, the long-term prognosis is quite good. The hospital stay is 2 to 5 days, depending on the extent of surgery. Complete healing takes up to 6 weeks.

Review Date: 11/30/2022  

Reviewed By: Ramin Fathi, MD, FAAD, Director, Phoenix Surgical Dermatology Group, Phoenix, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.