Incision expanders and methods for operating the same are disclosed. An incision expander includes a housing, an expanding cannula coupled to the housing, a mechanism to expand the expanding cannula coupled to the housing and the expanding cannula, and a removable bladed stylet extending through the center of housing and the expanding cannula. A second incision expander includes a housing, an expanding cannula coupled to the housing, and a tapered stylet extending through the center of housing and the expanding cannula. A method for introducing an excision device through an incision comprises introducing a bladed stylet into a target tissue, the bladed stylet extending through the center of an incision expander, the incision expander comprising a housing and an expanding cannula, actuating a mechanism to expand the expanding cannula, retracting the bladed stylet from the incision expander, and introducing an excision device into the target tissue through the incision expander.
