Clinical-surgical dermatology: assessment of the changes in types of procedures performed in a dermatologic residency in the Brazilian State of Paraná

Introduction: During the last four decades, dermatology has evolved from a purely clinic into a clinical-surgical specialty. In addition to diagnosing conditions and conducting clinical therapies, dermatologists began performing surgical treatments of cutaneous affections and neoplasias, corrections of scars, and cosmetic cutaneous procedures. Objective: To describe the change in types of procedures performed at the Dermatology Service of the Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná during the period studied. Material and methods: A systematic review of the Dermatology Service’s proprietary registers, and of additional data supplied by the hospital''''''''s Statistics and Planning System, was carried out for the period ranging from 2002 to 2007. Results: A relative increase of 16% in the number of surgical procedures has been verified in the study period, with an increase in the complexity of the procedures – with the ratio of excisions of benign lesions/ malignant tumors falling to 1.04:1 in 2007, from 2.25:1 in 2002. Among cosmetic procedures there has been a 74% increase in the application of chemical peels during this time. The use of fillers and botulinum toxin evolved from sporadic procedures in 2002 to frequent practice in 2007, with 3.33 and 3 procedures being conducted per month, respectively. Conclusions: The data, which were obtained objectively, demonstrate the transformation of the activities of the Dermatology Service of the Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná from mainly clinical to clinical-surgical procedures, with an increase in the complexity of the procedures performed to help train dermatology residents, in accordance with the development of the specialty throughout Brazil and the rest of the world.

Keywords: AMBULATORY SURGICAL PROCEDURES, DERMATOLOGY, HISTORICAL ARTICLE