The Central Dermatology Center team wants you to know about your skin health, what to look out for, and your treatment options for common issues like skin cancer. We serve patients throughout the Triangle area of NC with office locations in Cary, Chapel Hill, Fuquay-Varina, Pittsboro, Raleigh, and Sanford. When you have Mohs surgery, you will receive the most successful type of skin cancer treatment. Read on to learn what to expect when working with this team.

What Is Mohs Surgery?

If you are diagnosed with skin cancer, in cosmetically sensitive areas, your doctor may refer you for Mohs surgery. This surgery is a very meticulous procedure that involves the use of a microscope. Your surgeon will evaluate your biopsy site and delicately remove a layer of cancerous skin and view it under the microscope to check the outside and deep margins for skin cancer. The doctor will keep doing this step until the area is clear of any microscopic signs of skin cancer. This method is essential for preserving the surrounding healthy skin and reducing scars post-surgery. It has a high cure rate of approximately 99%. Once the skin cancer has been removed, the surgeon will decide the type of repair that may be needed. This could include putting the skin edges back together in a straight line, skin flap, skin graft or the area may not need to be repaired and could heal on its own. Please be prepared to spend the entire day in our office for this procedure.

What Is Recovery Like?

This is outpatient surgery, so you will go home and rest after surgery for 24-48 hours. You may experience slight pain or discomfort, which can be managed with Tylenol and/or ibuprofen. You may experience some bruising or swelling.  You should keep the pressure dressing dry and intact for at least 24 hours to help reduce post-operative bleeding, bruising, and swelling.

If the surgeon needs to use sutures to close the skin wound, they typically dissolve in 10-14 days. During that time, you will have a bandage that stays over the sutures that you will need to keep dry. Any visible bruising or swelling may take several weeks to go down. If your wound is best to heal on its own, then it may take a month or longer to heal and you may be required to do daily bandage changes until healed. We will provide you with written instructions tailored to your wound care needs.

You can trust the team at Central Dermatology Center to be transparent about the procedure. We treat patients throughout the Triangle area of NC with office locations in Cary, Chapel Hill, Fuquay-Varina, Pittsboro, Raleigh, and Sanford. When it is time for Mohs surgery, you will be in good hands. If you have already been diagnosed with skin cancer that needs treatment please ask your provider to send a referral to our office and we will call you to schedule your procedure. If you suspect you may have skin cancer, contact our team at the following locations for evaluation and potential biopsy:

• Book online
• Submit an Appointment Request
• Call us in Cary, NC at (919) 653-1344
• Call us in Chapel Hill, NC at (919) 401-1994
• Call us in Fuquay-Varina, NC at (984) 849-4328
• Call us in Pittsboro, NC at (984) 282-2302
• Call us in Raleigh, NC at (919) 782-2735
• Call us in Sanford, NC at (919) 776-5286

We look forward to seeing you and helping you with any skin concerns.