What Mohs Micrographic Surgery Is And Its Advantages

Since Mohs surgery, a procedure used to remove skin cancer, is rather complicated, most patients will want to learn all they can about it in advance. The process is very effective, but it also requires both time and patience in order to be effective.

What you can expect

This micrographic procedure is usually performed as outpatient surgery in a facility equipped with a surgical area and laboratory used to prepare and examine tissue. Since the surgeon administers local anesthesia, the patient is awake while it is being done, thus avoiding side effects and the need for a lengthy recovery.

Once the affected area is numbed, the surgeon excises both the tumor and a thin layer of tissue that surrounds it. A technician prepares the latter on slides that the Mohs surgeon will examine under a microscope. When cancer is evident, a second layer of tissue is taken from the same site. This is done to verify that only cancerous tissue was removed, ensuring the preservation of healthy tissue.

What follows the surgery

Once the procedure is complete, the surgeon assesses the wound and discusses the best options for both cosmetic and functional reconstruction. When that is needed, most of the time, the physician performs surgery to repair the affected area on the same day.

What you should know

This procedure calls for the excision and analysis of layers of tissue where the tumor is located until every trace of cancer has been eliminated. Note that the ability to do an examination and analysis of the tissues sets Mohs surgery apart from other procedures for cancer removal. Because only cancerous tissue and a small amount of normal tissue are excised, this minimizes the likelihood of a recurrence and the size of the post-operative wound as well.

This procedure is generally used to treat squamous cell and basal carcinomas, and it is sometimes recommended to eradicate melanoma and other cancers as well. Frequently, cancer that may recur or has already recurred is treated with this technique because of its well-known thoroughness. The high precision Mohs surgery requires makes the procedure an excellent choice in areas of the body that are functionally and cosmetically critical, including the face, genitals, hands and feet.

Specialists do the job

Mohs physicians are specially trained to fill the complex role that this cancer removal process requires. Their offices have the right surgical and laboratory facilities, and they also have the support of a specially trained technical and nursing staff as they work.

Peter Wendt is a writer and researcher working out of the great state of Texas. He has been writing about this subject for several years, and he finds that a great resource is the website at Vanguard Dermatology.

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