Skin cancer is a common and very dangerous form of cancer, but the prognosis is good when there is early detection. Mohs surgery is considered the most effective treatment option for skin cancer, because of its high cure rate. But what is Mohs surgery, and what is the procedure like.
What is Mohs surgery?
Mohs micrographic surgery is a precise surgical approachfor the treatment of skin cancer, particularly basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). These are two of the most common types of skin cancer.
The goal of Mohs surgery is to only remove the skin with the cancer cells, and preserve as much of the healthy tissue as possible.
What is Mohs surgery like?
Mohs surgery is performed on an outpatient basis using a local anesthetic, and involves several stages. The surgeon will first remove the visible tumor along with a small layer ofthe underlying skin.
The layer of tissue is divided into sections and analyzed under a microscope, to determine if there are any cancer cells there. Each section is color-coded, and the surgeon also makes a map of the surgery site, in order to accurately identify the spot from which each section of tissue was taken. If cancer cells are present, the surgeon continues to remove and examine layers of skin from the surgical site.
When there is no longer any evidence of cancer cells at the affected area, the surgeon will close the wound.
Are you interested in learning more about Mohs surgery? Search our directory to find a practice in your area.
If you are in the Tucson or Sierra Vista AZ areas, Dermatology and Plastic Surgery of Arizona is our featured practice.
You can reach them at www.dermplasticsaz.com, or by calling 520-207-3100 for the practice in Tucson, or 520-458-1787 for the location in Sierra Vista.