First, you should know that not all cancer is visible. Cancer cells form roots below the surface of the skin and if these roots are not removed, cancer will recur. It is common for skin cancers to appear completely removed after the initial biopsy.
Pioneered by Dr. Frederick Mohs, Mohs micrographic surgery has been embraced by an increasing number of surgeons for an ever-widening variety of skin cancers. Mohs is the only skin cancer procedure that spares the greatest amount of healthy tissue while also most completely expunging cancer cells.
The reason for the technique’s success is its simple elegance. During a Mohs surgery, microscopic examination of all excised tissue occurs during, rather than after the surgery. The procedure entails removing one thin layer of tissue at a time; as each layer is removed, its margins are studied under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells. If the margins are cancer-free, the surgery is ended. If not, more tissue is removed from the margin where the cancer cells were found, and the procedure is repeated until all the margins of the final tissue sample examined are clear of cancer. In this way, Mohs surgery eliminates the guesswork in skin cancer removal, producing the best therapeutic and cosmetic results.
Advantages of the Mohs Micrographic Surgery
- Minimally invasive
- Minimizes risk of recurrence
- No hospitalization or general anesthetic
- Greatest therapeutic and cosmetic results