Thanks guys. I think that one of the worries about draining it... Is that ideally you want to be able to get it out intact with the surgery. If it breaks when they try to get it out then it is very likely (almost inevitable) that the problem will recurr. Usually they cut an eye shaped hole in your skin and remove it that way. Because it is on my face they don't want to do that, however, as it is likely to leave a scar. So the idea is that hopefully the plastic surgeon will be able to cut they eye shaped hole inside my cheek and remove it that way (pull it back into my mouth). That way I won't end up with a scar that is visible.

What that might mean for draining it... Is that if they are pulling it out through the surface of the skin it probably doesn't matter if the skin side of the membrane is fragile because of draining it and stuff. If they are pulling it back into my mouth then it might be more important not to mess around with puncturing the skin side of the membrane as that might make it harder to get it out intact. (And of course there is the really gross possibility that they puncture it in trying to remove it through my mouth YUK!!!). I really want to talk to a doc who knows what they are doing on this... The GP said it was a 'Sebaceous Cyst' but the net said that they aren't called that anymore because that name was based on a misunderstanding of the cause of the problem / what the problem was. So... That doesn't give me much faith in that particular GP (though admittedly I'm not sure whether you need to know that much about its etiology in order to treat it satisfactorily)... Also... One doc said it was a cystic acne lesion and the next said 'no, it is a sebaceous cyst' and turns out that they are basically the same thing but they are now called epidermal cysts... Grr... Sigh. I'll check with this other doc when i get an appt. I've tried to drain it myself (there is a doc moderated message board on the net and people do indeed try and do this - often successfully). But this does NOT want to be drained. Also... I'm a little concerned about the shape... It's possible it is a cluster of 2 or 3 smaller ones rather than one bigger one... And... I am having some slight concerns it might be mouth cancer... Because I smoke like a chimney...

(thats the end of the grossness i promise!)