WLE

Medical abbreviation · Surgical

WLE stands for Wide local excision, a surgical abbreviation.

Excision of a tumor with a surrounding margin of normal tissue, used for melanoma, other skin cancers, soft tissue sarcomas and breast cancer (lumpectomy). Margin width depends on tumor type and thickness and aims to reduce local recurrence.

Example: WLE with 1 cm margins for a 0.8 mm melanoma of the back.

Usage notes

For melanoma, recommended clinical margins range from about 0.5 to 1 cm for in situ disease up to 2 cm for thick tumors. Pathologists ink the specimen surfaces to report whether margins are clear, and re-excision is needed when tumor touches the inked edge.

Related abbreviations

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• ALND – Axillary lymph node dissection
• Appy – Appendectomy
• APR – Abdominoperineal resection
• BMP – Bone morphogenetic protein
• BMT – Bilateral myringotomy and tubes
• Circ – Circumcision
• CTR – Carpal tunnel release
• Cysto – Cystoscopy
• DIEP – Deep inferior epigastric perforator (flap)
• DOS – Day of surgery
• EBL – Estimated blood loss
• ERAS – Enhanced recovery after surgery

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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.