Mohs Surgery Specialist

What is Mohs surgery?

Mohs surgery is a highly effective skin cancer treatment that involves progressive removal of very thin layers of cancerous skin. Mohs surgery is a meticulous technique that ensures no cancer cells remain.

During Mohs surgery, your doctor removes one fine layer of tissue at a time and examines it under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Mohs Surgery allows the surgeon to control the size and depth of the surgery by carefully examining all edges of the tissue. The Mohs micrographic surgery approach eliminates the need to estimate how deeply the cancer is rooted in the skin.

Once they confirm that no cancer cells remain, your doctor stops removing skin. This allows as much healthy tissue to remain as possible while also completely removing the skin cancer.

What types of skin cancer does Mohs surgery treat?

Mohs surgery has a high cure rate for most types of skin cancer. This technique successfully treats the most common types of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

The team at HK Dermatology may recommend Mohs surgery for certain BCC and SCC cancers, including:

• Aggressive or large cancers
• Cancers that return after treatment
• Cancers that develop in areas with very little tissue, such as the nose or ear
  
  

In some cases, your doctor can use Mohs surgery to treat melanoma or more rare types of skin cancer, such as Merkel cell carcinoma.

What are the benefits of Mohs surgery?

Mohs surgery is unparalleled when it comes to precise removal of skin cancer with the highest cure rate (99%) for most skin cancers. Additionally, the tissue-sparing technique of Mohs surgery offers many benefits, including:

• Minimizes scarring and disfigurement
• Saves the greatest amount of healthy skin
• Lowest chance of cancer re-growth
  
  

Your doctor performs Mohs surgery as an outpatient procedure, so you don’t need to stay in the hospital. They use safe, local anesthesia, which allows you to stay awake and reduces the cost of the procedure.

How do I know if I am a good candidate for Mohs surgery?

The best way to find out if Mohs surgery is right for you is to schedule a consultation at HK Dermatology. Your doctor carefully examines your skin cancer and recommends the best possible treatment for you.

Call your nearest HK Dermatology office or schedule an appointment online today.