Surgical excision is when the mole is removed by the surgeon using a scalpel. This can cause some scarring, around the same size as the mole removed, but this tends to diminish over time. The wound is stitched, and a dressing applied. The stitches are then removed up to two weeks afterwards.

Excision is the more permanent mole removal option of the two and is usually performed on flat moles or those where the surgeon wants to examine the tissue further.