Advanced Skin Cancer Treatment
The Gold Standard for Skin Cancer Care
What is Mohs Surgery?
Mohs surgery, also known as Mohs micrographic surgery is an advanced, highly precise technique for treating certain types of skin cancer. First developed in the 1930s by Dr. Frederic Mohs, this method allows your surgeon to remove cancerous tissue layer by layer while examining each layer under the microscope in real time. This ensures that all cancer cells are removed while preserving as much healthy skin as possible.
Why Mohs Surgery Is Recommended?
Mohs surgery offers the highest cure rate of any skin cancer treatment, with success rates up to 99% for many tumors. It is considered the gold standard for:
- Cancers on cosmetically sensitive areas (face, scalp, ears, nose, lips, hands, feet, or genital area).
Skin cancers that have recurred after previous treatment
Large or poorly defined cancers
Areas where preserving healthy tissue is especially important
Because the surgeon examines the entire margin of the removed tissue, Mohs surgery minimizes the chance of the cancer coming back while reducing unnecessary removal of normal skin.
How Mohs Surgery Works
The procedure is performed in several steps:
Local anesthesia is used to numb the area.
The surgeon removes the visible portion of the cancer.
A thin layer of surrounding tissue is removed and processed in an on-site lab.
The surgeon examines the tissue under a microscope to check for remaining cancer cells.
If cancer is still present, another layer is removed only from the area where it remains.
This process is repeated until the margins are completely clear.
Once the cancer is fully removed, the wound is repaired, sometimes with stitches, sometimes with a flap or graft, or in select cases, allowed to heal naturally.
Benefits of Mohs Surgery
Highest cure rate available
Mohs surgery offers cure rates up to 99%, making it the most effective treatment for many types of skin cancer.
Minimal removal of healthy skin
Only tissue containing cancer cells is removed, allowing you to keep as much normal, healthy skin as possible.
Immediate confirmation that all cancer has been removed
Each layer is examined under a microscope during the procedure, ensuring the cancer is fully cleared before the wound is repaired.
Smaller scars and optimized cosmetic outcome
By preserving more healthy skin, Mohs surgery leads to smaller wounds, better healing, and more natural-looking results.
Especially effective for complex or high-risk cancers
Mohs is ideal for cancers in delicate areas, recurrent tumors, or those with aggressive or unclear borders.
What to Expect During the Procedure
Arrive early: Plan to arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment.
Eat normally: Have breakfast and take your usual medications unless advised otherwise.
Plan for time: The procedure can take several hours, as tissue is examined between stages.
Comfort: Local anesthesia keeps you comfortable throughout.
Healing: Once all cancer cells are removed, your surgeon will discuss the best closure option for your wound.
Who performs mohs surgery?
A Mohs surgeon is a board-certified dermatologist with additional 1–2 years of fellowship training in:
Skin cancer surgery
Dermatopathology (microscopic tissue analysis)
Advanced reconstruction and plastic surgery techniques
These surgeons are specially trained to both remove the cancer and reconstruct the wound for the best functional and cosmetic results.
Is Mohs Surgery Right for You?
Your dermatologist may recommend Mohs surgery if your cancer is:
On a cosmetically or functionally important area
Recurrent
Aggressive or large
Ill-defined at the edges
Mohs provides the best balance of complete cancer removal and cosmetic preservation.