Mohs Surgery Q & A
What is Mohs surgery?
Mohs surgery is the most effective skin cancer treatment that removes malignant (cancerous) lesions in stages to ensure all traces of cancer cells are gone. Performing Mohs surgery requires extensive training. With a double board-certified and fellowship-trained dermatologic surgeon, the team can successfully cure many types of skin cancer with Mohs surgery.
Which types of skin cancer can Mohs surgery treat?
Mohs surgery treats multiple types of skin cancers, including:
Basal cell carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma is the least aggressive type of skin cancer. Most basal cell carcinomas develop in sun-exposed areas of skin, like the face, scalp, neck, and chest. They usually appear as pink, pearly, or ulcerated lesions and rarely spread to other areas.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Also common in areas exposed to the sun, squamous cell carcinomas look like thick raised growths or thickened areas of the skin. Most squamous cell carcinomas aren’t life-threatening but in rare circumstances can be aggressive and spread to other areas of the body.
What happens during Mohs surgery?
Mohs surgery is only performed after a biopsy has confirmed the diagnosis of a skin cancer. The day of the procedure, the site is anesthetized and the mohs surgeon will mark the area of your biopsy with a pen. Next, they use a scalpel to remove a thin layer of the lesion. That tissue is processed in-office, and examined under the microscope. If there is still skin cancer present, the surgeon is able to map out exactly where the skin cancer remains, and move additional tissue. That additional tissue is then processed again. This sequence is repeated until no skin cancer remains and the margins are clear. Mohs surgery ensures the team can preserve as much healthy tissue as possible while removing all traces of cancer.
After the cancer is completely removed, the wound is sutured and closed. Detailed aftercare instructions to ensure optimal wound healing are then provided.
Call Pure Dermatology today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about Mohs surgery.
