How is Mohs Surgery performed?
How to Prepare for Mohs Surgery
What is Mohs Surgery?
Mohs Surgery is a specialized procedure that treats skin cancers by removing the cancer layer by layer. It is named in honor of Frederick Mohs, a surgeon who pioneered the procedure in the 1930's, The purpose of Mohs surgery is to remove the least amount of tissue with the highest possible cure rate. Mohs Surgery is performed as outpatient procdure at our office under local anesthesia.
Many skin cancers are often described as having "roots" that extend beyond the apparent borders of the tumor. By using the Mohs Surgery technique, the borders or margins of the tumor are checked to remove these "roots". This allows for a higher cure rate than other techniques. Mohs Surgery has a cure rate that approaches 99% for primary (never treated) basal cell carcinomas. For recurrent tumors, the cure rate of Mohs Surgery is 95% (compared to 80% with other modalities).