Mohs Surgery
About Mohs Surgery
Mohs Micrographic Surgery is a specialized method for the removal of skin cancer that combines surgery with real-time microscopic margin analysis. Mohs surgery is the most effective treatment for skin cancer today, offering the highest cure rate - up to 99% - even if the skin cancer has been previously treated by another method. Mohs surgery achieves this high cure rate because the cancer is removed with the highest precision while healthy skin and tissue are spared.
Mohs surgery is an outpatient procedure that requires only local anesthesia. Your surgeon will remove all visible skin cancer from the biopsy site, and a thin surrounding layer of skin. The surgeon will then carefully mark and examine this tissue under a microscope, looking for any traces of residual cancer. If cancer cells are seen, the surgeon will remove another thin layer of skin, but only from the area where cancer is still present. Normal skin will be spared. This process is repeated until no cancer remains. This is termed a "tissue sparing" technique and allows the smallest amount of tissue damage when removing a cancer.
One of the advantages of Mohs surgery is that you know your results right away. You usually don't leave your appointment until all of the skin cancer has been removed and your wound repaired. You may have another visit with your surgeon or primary care provider to make sure your wound is healing correctly.
Post-Operative Care Instructions
Mohs Surgery Post-Operative Instructions (pdf)