What Is the Surgical Procedure?
This renowned skin cancer procedure uses micrographic techniques. A microscope is part of the procedure. The surgeon removes cancerous tissue incrementally under microscopic guidance, preserving healthy skin surrounding the affected area.
The first step begins with the application of anesthesia to the area where the surgery is needed. The surgeon starts by removing the visible skin cancer and examines it under a microscope. They will keep this process up until each layer of skin cancer is gone.
This technique allows complete removal of the skin cancer in that session. When someone has skin cancer, it's not just on the visible surface of the skin. It can be deep down at a level that is only discovered as it is removed. Individual stages typically last 10 to 15 minutes, though waiting periods between stages may extend the overall appointment length.
What Is the Aftermath Like?
Unlike more invasive surgeries, you don't have to stay in the hospital after Mohs surgery. This is an outpatient surgery available at multiple locations. Recovery depends on cancer depth and removal extent, potentially resulting in minimal scarring or requiring stitches and skin grafts for larger removals.
Patients receiving this treatment have a 99% chance of recovery and peace of mind that all the found skin cancer cells are gone.