Mohs Surgery

What is Mohs surgery?

Dr. Frederic Mohs invented Mohs micrographic surgery in the 1930s. During this highly effective procedure, cancerous skin layers are removed and examined under a microscope. The surgery continues until healthy, cancer-free tissue around the tumor is reached. At Charles County Dermatology Associates, special surgeons complete these procedures.

What types of skin cancer does Mohs surgery treat?

Mohs surgery is most often used to treat basal cell and squamous cell cancer -- the two most common types of skin cancer. This procedure is also helpful for skin cancers near critically functional or cosmetically vital areas including your:

• Nose
• Ears
• Lips
• Eyelids
• Forehead
• Scalp
• Fingers
• Genitals

Skin cancers with undefined borders or those located in areas where scar tissue is already present are often removed during Mohs surgery. The Mohs procedure also eradicates skin cancers that reappear after removal with another form of treatment. Skin cancers that are 1 inch or larger, except for those located on your face, are removed successfully with Mohs surgery.

What steps are involved in Mohs surgery?

Before Mohs surgery begins, you receive a skin-numbing injection of anesthetic. The surgical procedure involves:

• Removing any noticeable, raised area of the tumor first
• Removing a thin layer of tissue from the cancerous site
• Marking the tissue to identify right, left, top, and bottom regions
• Freezing, cutting, and staining the removed tissue
• Examining the entire outer and bottom edges of the removed tissue under a microscope
• Identifying the location of any cancer cells viewed under the microscope
• Removing an additional thin layer of tissue exclusively from the region where cancer cells remain
• Continuing the process of microscopic examination and removal of layers of tissue until no cancer cells show up under the microscope

What are the benefits of undergoing Mohs surgery?

Because Mohs surgery completely removes skin cancer, you don’t have to worry about the possibility of it growing back. This popular procedure also minimizes the amount of healthy tissue lost. Therefore, the functional and cosmetic outcome of the surgery is maximized. In most cases, the removal of the cancer and repair of the cancer site take place on the same day. Mohs surgery can effectively cure skin cancers that haven’t responded well to other forms of treatment.