Understanding Mohs Surgery

Mohs micrographic surgery was developed in the 1930s and is now renowned as the most precise, advanced, and effective skin cancer treatment available today.
This technique allows doctors to very precisely locate and remove skin cancer without damaging surrounding, healthy tissue.
The surgery has been refined over the years and evolved into the finest treatment for certain forms of skin cancer.
Mohs surgery involves the surgical removal of skin cancer in a series of layers.
Each section of tissue removed is then examined under a microscope until surrounding benign tissue is reached.
Mohs Surgery Advantages
The reason that Mohs surgery is so effective and unique is due to the manner in which removed tissue is examined microscopically.
All of the surgical margins are evaluated on site by the operating surgeon who is trained to read the slides.
The advantages with Mohs surgery are that it:
* Ensures the cancer is completely removed, which virtually eliminates any chance the cancer could return.
* Minimizes the quantity of lost healthy tissue
* Normally repairs the cancer site the same day it is removed
* Maximizes the cosmetic and functional surgical outcome
* Removes skin cancer where other techniques have failed
Other treatment methods for skin cancer inaccurately and blindly estimate the amount of treatable tissue, resulting in healthy skin tissue removal or cancer regrowth if any of the cancer is overlooked.
Who makes a good candidate for Mohs surgery?
* Those with skin cancer proven by a biopsy
* Those with cancer on the head or neck
* Anyone with reoccurring cancer at any location
* Patients who were recommended for the surgery by a dermatologist
The Mohs Procedure
Knowing what you can expect before surgery is helpful. Since the process is somewhat complicated, it can help to familiarize yourself with the procedure before you undergo it.
Mohs surgery is normally performed as an outpatient procedure in-office.
Normally, surgery begins in the morning and will be finished later the same day, depending upon certain factors.
You will receive a local anesthetic at the cancer site and will remain awake during the procedure.
Using a local anesthetic will shorten your recovery time and reduce potential side effects.
How will the surgical wounds be repaired?
The manner in which your surgical wounds will be repaired depends upon the extent of your tumor. Small wounds may heal by themselves.
Wounds that are larger will require stitches. Some large wounds may require a graft or flap.
It is difficult to say exactly how each surgical wound will need to be repaired until we have performed the surgery.
Once the tumor has been taken out, we will be in a better position to determine the best method for repair.
Contact Us Today
Contact Chernoff Cosmetic Surgery today to make an appointment and see if Mohs surgery is the right procedure for you.