Service
Skin biopsy and histopathological analysis
A biopsy takes a sample of a change on or under the skin and sends it for histopathological analysis — the only way to know for certain what it is. Depending on the change, part of it is taken or the whole is removed.
What concerns does it address?
When is it done?
When a change does not look typical, when it is changing, or when a result is needed before a decision about a larger procedure. With smaller changes, the biopsy is also the removal.
How is it done?
Under local anaesthesia, through a small incision or with a punch, with one or a few stitches. The sample goes for histopathological analysis.
When is the procedure not suitable?
A biopsy is not done through inflamed skin and is not put off because of fear of the result — a suspicious change is not watched for months but sampled. With blood-thinning medicines, a biopsy can most often be done without stopping them, with longer pressure on the wound; this is agreed at the examination.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Occasional — bleeding from the biopsy site, the need for a further procedure depending on the result.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Price
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Skin biopsy with histopathological analysis | €200–300 |
| Biopsy of a subcutaneous tumour | €300–400 |
| Histopathological analysis, simple | €80 |
Specialist and team
Specialty: general surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
Frequently asked questions
What if the result calls for a larger procedure? Then the next step is planned — excision with reconstruction.
When is a biopsy done, and when is the whole change removed? A small change is removed whole, and the biopsy is thereby done. With a large change, or when removal would leave a large scar (on the face), a small sample can be taken first, and the further plan depends on the result.
Will there be a scar? A small one — a straight line from a few millimetres to a centimetre long, or a dot-like mark after a sample taken with a punch.
When does the result arrive? In seven to fourteen days. We let you know, and the doctor explains it. If the result calls for further treatment, this is arranged here or you are referred to an institution that provides it.
Does a biopsy mean something is malignant? No. A biopsy is a way to know for certain what the change is; the great majority of results are benign.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.