Hello and welcome!
Okay, this is just my own personal thing, but I don't know that I would be taking the word of a doctor over the internet who has never seen me or really doesn't know my condition. On this board, I tell people straight up I am not a medical professional, and what I know I know from my own experience and research. I also tell people if they are truly worried about something, they need to see (as in person) their own doctor - or find a doctor they feel comfortable with. Over the internet, we can all be who we want to be, we don't really have to give anyone any sort of credentials.
That said, you state you have mildly atypical moles. Are you even aware of what that means? And are you aware of how that relates to melanoma? Atypical moles may or may not eventually, possibly, at some time, in the future, way, way distant develop into melanoma. Could. Possibly. Maybe. And the stars could align just right and I, at the age of 51, could become Miss Universe. Detect a bit of sarcasm there?
There are 2 schools of thought as far as doctors are concerned. One school says, either leave the atypical mole alone, or do a shave/punch biopsy, and simply keep an eye on it and see if anything develops. The majority of the time? Nothing happens. The other school says, take full on preventative measure: do a complete wide excision in the event that melanoma may ever develop, and we will all be ahead of the game by taking out all of skin before it ever has a remote chance of ever taking hold.
What YOU need to think of - because, this is YOUR body that is being discussed - is there could be more atypical moles develop as you get older. A shave/punch removal is not all that bad in terms of having them removed. If you have an excision? Much more devastating to your body. You will have large chunks of skin removed. Now, granted, I'm sure a plastic surgeon would love to get a patient like that. Think about it, it isn't hard. A simple mole removal via punch really doesn't cost all that much. An excision? With perhaps local or general anesthia? With perhaps some level of reconstruction, depending on where the mole is located? Perhaps I'm cynical, but I'm seeing more dollar signs than patient care. Why would doctor necessarily care if s/he is carving up a patient (and scaring them to death) and receiving payments from insurance?
Hey, it's your body, it's your peace of mind. If you would feel better getting an excision for every atypical mole a doctor finds, you will certainly find a plastic surgeon willing to accommodate your wishes. Just allow yourself time to think and research about what you are doing, and have an open and honest conversation with your doctor.
Good luck!
