Mohs Surgery

Mohs surgery is performed to treat common forms of skin cancer including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and several types of melanoma. It is an improvement over standard surgery, which requires local incisions into the affected area to remove noticeable signs of cancer along with small amounts of nearby healthy tissue. What makes Mohs surgery more effective than traditional surgery is that it grants Dr. Plateroti verification that all cancer cells have been extracted following the completion of surgery.

The main objective of Mohs surgery is to extract as much of the skin cancer as possible without doing extensive harm to nearby healthy tissue.

Mohs surgery can be helpful for skin cancer that may:

• Have a potentially high risk for recurring or that may have recurred from a previous procedure
• Have borders difficult to define
• Be large or aggressive
• Be located in certain areas where healthy tissue is optimal for preservation such as around the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, feet, hands, and genitals

Mohs surgery typically takes several hours to complete. However, since it is never known exactly how extensive the cancer may be, patients who receive Mohs surgery should set aside the entire day for their procedure. The designated skin cancer treatment area will be cleaned and administered with a local anesthetic to numb the skin, providing a more comfortable experience.

Patients who receive Mohs surgery will be able to learn of their results the same day of their procedure. Follow-up visits will be scheduled in the time after your surgery to monitor your recovery.