Mohs Surgery

Mohs Surgery

 

Mohs surgery represents the most advanced and precise approach for the surgical removal of many types of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The Mohs procedure provides for the highest success rate while removing the least amount of healthy tissue.  

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Choosing Mohs Surgery

Compared with other skin cancer treatments, Mohs surgery can be especially effective for skin cancers with one or more of the following characteristics:

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• Location in functionally and/or cosmetically important area

• Aggressive growth histology

• Recurrent after a previous treatment

• Ill-defined edges

• Large or rapidly-growing

• Location in scar tissue

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Advantages

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• Ensures complete skin cancer removal during surgery, reducing the chance of the cancer growing back. 

• Minimizes the amount of healthy tissue lost

• Allows for repair of the surgical site on the same day (in most cases) 

• Cures skin cancer when other methods have failed

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How it Works

 

The surgeon removes thin layers of skin one layer at a time and examines each layer under a microscope to determine if any cancer remains. This allows the removal of all cancerous cells for the highest cure rate while sparing healthy tissue and leaving the smallest possible scar.

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Reconstruction After Mohs Surgery

 

After determining that the affected area is cancer free, our physicians will review reconstructive options with you. Our surgeons are national leaders in reconstructive surgery. The best reconstruction option for you is determined based on your desires and goals along with the the size, depth, and location of the tumor removed.

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• Small, simple wounds may be allowed to heal by themselves

• Slightly larger wounds may be closed with  stitches in a side- to-side fashion 

• Larger or more complicated wounds may require a skin graft from another area of the body or a flap that closes the defect with skin adjacent to the wound 

• On rarer occasions, the patient may be referred to another reconstructive surgical specialist for coordinated, multidisciplinary reconstruction

 

Post-operative Management

 

Instructions for the post surgical care of wounds will be thoroughly explained during your surgical visit and post-operative wound checks will be arranged as needed.