A study of general practitioners' skin surgery in Canterbury.

AIMS: To evaluate skin surgery done by general practitioners in Christchurch.

METHODS

Twenty-eight general practitioners performing regular skin surgery were studied. Their clinical accuracy and completeness of excision was analysed. Skin lesions referred for specialist treatment were also studied.

RESULTS

Three hundred and three lesions were sent to the laboratory for analysis by participating practitioners. Sixty-one malignancies were present comprising 29 basal cell carcinomas, 28 squamous cell carcinomas, three malignant melanomas and one cutaneous lymphoma. Nineteen of the 61 malignant lesions were incompletely excised. Twenty eight further lesions were referred to specialists for treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

General practitioners in Canterbury perform more skin surgery and remove more malignant lesions than their British counterparts. Although the adequacy of their skin surgery is better than other groups studied overseas there is considerable room for improvement.