Healing is often very slow and wounds can break open. Diaper rash of the genital area covered by a nevus or by scars is common even as an adult because the skin is so delicate in that area. Some female children have had mastectomies for a nevus involving the skin over the breast. Both constipation and diarrhea should be avoided. They can be minimized by eating high-fiber foods daily.
Many surgeries are often necessary to remove a large nevus.
Some of our members have had 25 surgeries or more. The goals of surgery are to remove the nevus to reduce the risk of cancer and to improve cosmetic appearance. The surgeons try to leave a scar as small as possible and skin that functions as normally as possible. The risks of surgical complications, infections, many episodes of general anesthesia, and frequent hospitalizations all to remove a nevus need to be balanced against the risk of malignant melanoma in a nevus that is left alone. When possible, local anesthesia is safer as general anesthesia has a higher complication rate, including death, compared to local.