Mohs micrographic surgery

Mohs surgery offers the highest cure rates for difficult skin cancers, particularly those on the head and neck. The area of skin where the skin cancer is located is numbed with local anesthetic. While sparing as much normal skin as possible, the cancer is removed with a surgical knife (scalpel). The tissue is examined completely under the microscope while the patient waits, to be certain all tumor roots are removed. If not all the tumor was removed, then the surgeon goes back and removes more in the area with persistent skin cancer. This is then looked at under the microscope as previous. This is repeated until the skin cancer has been completely removed. Mohs surgery is the most precise way to remove skin cancer while also sparing as much normal skin as possible. After complete removal of the tumor, the area is often closed with stitches. Mohs surgery is used to treat difficult basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas on the face.

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