Phone - (571) 529-5600
Email - info@aestheticdermandmohs.com
Our board-certified, fellowship-trained, and experienced Mohs surgeons treat basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and other skin cancers with Mohs micrographic surgery using current, effective, and evidence-based treatments and techniques.
Mohs surgery or Mohs micrographic surgery is a specialized procedure performed by board-certified, fellowship-trained dermatologists for the surgical removal and microscopic evaluation of certain types of skin cancer. The procedure was created by and first performed by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs at the University of Wisconsin in 1936. Mohs surgery is the most effective treatment for basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and several other types of skin cancer with potential success rates of up to 99%. With the use of a microscope, Mohs surgeons remove the least amount of healthy, non-cancerous skin which typically results in the smallest possible scar.
Mohs surgery is typically performed for skin cancers on the head and neck where it is essential to remove only the smallest possible amount of non-cancerous skin. Occasionally and when certain criteria are met, Mohs surgery can be performed on other parts of the body. To learn more about when Mohs surgery is appropriate, please visit the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology website.
To become a board-certified and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon, your doctor must be an American Board of Dermatology (ABD) board-certified dermatologist and must complete a focused and rigorous post-residency American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS)/ACGME-accredited Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology fellowship.
To determine if your Mohs surgeon is board-certified and fellowship-trained, please visit the ABD Dermatologist Search webpage and the ACMS Find a Surgeon website.
Mohs surgery is performed in a dermatologist's office under local anesthesia without the need for sedation or general anesthesia. Once the skin cancer site is prepared for surgery, a small disc or "layer" around and below the skin cancer is removed and taken to the lab by the Mohs surgeon for processing. Once processed, the Mohs surgeon evaluates the removed tissue with a microscope in real-time to determine if there is any remaining skin cancer. This process is called a stage. If the skin cancer has been removed in the first stage, the patient is "free" of skin cancer. If there is remaining skin cancer observed during microscopic evaluation, the Mohs surgeon marks the specific location on a Mohs surgery map and repeats the Mohs surgery procedure with subsequent stages until the skin cancer has been completely removed. Most Mohs surgery procedures are complete within 1-2 stages which typically takes between 2-4 hours in total.
Once the skin cancer has been completely removed, the Mohs surgeon will discuss different options for wound healing and surgical reconstruction. Because Mohs surgery requires the surgeon to remove the least amount of skin as possible, this often results in very small and shallow surgery wounds which can heal exceptionally well without reconstructive surgery and sutures. If a surgical site becomes wider, deeper, or functionally significant and requires reconstructive surgery, your board-certified and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon is experienced and skilled to perform complete and cosmetically optimal skin reconstructive surgery on all areas of the skin. Board-certified, fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons perform more skin reconstructive surgery annually than all other surgical specialities combined.
For information about preoperative surgical preparation and postoperative care, please visit our Surgical Supplies page.
For additional information about Mohs surgery, please visit the Skin Cancer Foundation website and the American College of Mohs Surgery website and watch the video below.
In the United States, technically any physician "can" perform any procedure, but to guarantee that you receive Mohs surgery from a properly and officially trained Mohs surgeon, we recommend that Mohs surgery should only be performed by a board-certified and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon. Look for certification seals like these below from the American Board of Dermatology on your Mohs surgeon's website or at their office.
To determine if your Mohs surgeon is board-certified and fellowship-trained, please visit the ABD Dermatologist Search webpage and the ACMS Find a surgeon webpage.
To learn more about Mohs surgery fellowship training, please visit the American College of Mohs surgery website.
Mohs surgery is considered the gold-standard treatment for most skin cancers. Numerous clinical studies over decades have demonstrated that Mohs surgery achieves the highest potential cure rate of up to 99% for basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and several other types of ski cancer. For additional information regarding Mohs surgery efficacy rates, please visit the Skin Cancer Foundation website.
Yes and many are safe, effective, and significantly less invasive than surgery. Depending on several individual patient factors and the type, location, and size of your skin cancer, there may be several treatment options for your skin cancer. Certain skin cancers can be treated with topical chemotherapy (e.g. 5-fluoruracil, imiquimoid), locally destructive procedures (e.g. electrodessication and curettage), and excisional surgery (e.g. wide local excision). While these treatments may be effective for certain skin cancers, it is important to have a preoperative consultation with your dermatologist or Mohs surgeon to determine which treatment is appropriate for you.
You do not need plastic surgery after Mohs surgery. All board-certified, fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons are extensively trained skin reconstructive surgeons and collectively perform more skin reconstructive surgery annually than all other surgical specialties combined. Mohs surgeons are trained to perform skin reconstructive surgery on all areas of the skin.
There are certain skin cancer types and certain locations on the body that do require collaborative surgery with surgeons from different specialities including Plastic Surgery, Head and Neck Facial Plastic Surgery (Otolaryngology/ENT), Oculoplastic Surgery (Ophthlamology), Surgical Oncology, and Radiation Oncology. Your Mohs surgeon should always discuss the potential need for collaborative surgery preoperatively.
If you prefer to work with a different surgeon for possible reconstructive surgery after Mohs surgery you should discuss referral options with your Mohs surgeon prior to your scheduled Mohs surgery day. Your Mohs surgeon will be able to coordinate care per your preference.
