There are other ways to do biopsies that don't involve a knife -- There's punch biopsy where a small, round sharp tool is pushed into the flesh to make a plug, the plug is snipped off and the hole heals without stitches -- There's also FNA, where a fine needle is pushed in to collect a much smaller sample.

The attractive thing to the doctor about the knife biopsy is that whatever it was is usually gone!

I now have ear pain following my free flap and I believe it is from a sensitive spot in BOT or throat -- If I touch it, my ear hurts -- I suspect that some nerves got crossed when the Cutthroats were doing their thing because there is also scarring in that area.