Mohs Surgery
Mohs surgery is a specialized form of skin cancer surgery that is appropriate for treating many types of skin cancer, particularly those found on the head, neck, and other sensitive areas. It is named after Dr. Frederic Mohs, who pioneered this treatment in the 1930s.
Mohs surgery offers the highest cure rate of any type of skin cancer surgery. Importantly, it is also known as a tissue-sparing procedure, meaning only the minimum amount of involved skin is removed to ensure cancer clearance. This leads to smaller surgical defects and better cosmetic outcomes than traditional excisional surgeries.
Mohs Surgery Is An In-Office
Procedure Involving The Following Steps:
Local Anesthesia
The area around the tumor is numbed with a local anesthetic to ensure the patient doesn't feel any pain during the procedure.
Tumor Removal & Mapping
The visible portion of the tumor is removed along with a very thin layer of surrounding tissue. The surgeon then creates a detailed map of the removed tissue, marking specific areas corresponding to the edges of the tumor.
Tissue Examination
The removed tissue is immediately examined under a microscope by the surgeon, who looks for any remaining cancer cells. This step is crucial because it allows the surgeon to precisely identify and remove any remaining cancerous tissue while leaving healthy tissue intact.
Additional Tissue Removal
*If necessary
If cancer cells are still present at the edges of the removed tissue, the surgeon will go back and remove another thin layer of tissue from the affected area, while sparing healthy tissue. This process of removal and examination is repeated until no cancer cells are found in the examined tissue.
Closure of the Wound
Once the surgeon confirms that all cancerous tissue has been removed, the wound can be closed using various techniques, such as stitches or skin grafts, to promote optimal healing and minimize scarring. In some cases, the wound can even be left to heal by itself.