What Makes Mohs Surgery Special?

Mohs surgery is a cutting-edge procedure for effectively treating many types of skin cancer. A micrographic technique is used to carefully remove the cancerous skin cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue. The board-certified dermatologists and Mohs surgeons at Central Dermatology Center, serving patients at our Cary, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Sanford Office locations, perform Mohs Surgery and can determine if you are a candidate for the procedure.

The Procedure

The experienced dermatologists and surgeons at our offices perform Mohs surgery as a treatment for various types of skin cancer. Mohs surgery is an outpatient procedure and usually takes a few hours to complete. Patients are given local anesthesia to numb the treatment area but remain awake during the procedure.

For tumors that are malignant, the area surrounding the tumor site is mapped out. Small portions of skin tissue are then removed from the mapped area. As tissue is removed, it is immediately examined under a microscope. If cancerous cells are present, the surgeon removes another small sample of skin tissue. The process continues until no more cancer remains.

Removing and examining small portions of skin at a time helps ensure only cancerous areas are removed and healthy skin tissue is spared. Once there is no more cancer, the treatment area can be sutured if it is small. A skin flap or graft may be needed if the treatment area is too large for sutures. Patients can return home the same day. Recovery of the treatment area can take a few weeks, but most individuals can resume light activities within a few days following the procedure.

Benefits of Mohs Surgery

There are numerous benefits of Mohs surgery that make it an excellent option for treating skin cancer. One of the things that makes it so special is that the procedure is associated with a nearly 99 percent cure rate when performed on early-stage cancer.

Mohs surgery is also special because it preserves more healthy skin tissue than other treatment methods, which often remove quite a bit of healthy tissue along with the areas affected by cancer. The advanced micrographic technique used to perform Mohs surgery minimizes the amount of healthy tissue that is removed, while still safely and successfully removing all of the cancerous cells. Schedule a consultation with one of our Mohs surgeons to learn more about Mohs surgery by calling Central Dermatology Center serving The Triangle Area of NC, at (919) 401-1994.