Should I stop taking medications ordered by one of my doctors?

No. Continue any medications, including blood thinners (such as aspirin, Coumadin® [warfarin], ibuprofen, Plavix® [clopidogrel]) which have been prescribed by one of your doctors. Please bring a complete list of your medications on the day of your surgery.

If you take Coumadin® (warfarin), please have your routine blood study (PT/INR) drawn no more than one week before your Mohs surgery appointment. Please fax the results to the office where your procedure will be performed or call us with the name and contact information of the facility where you had your blood drawn so we can obtain your results directly.

Should I stop taking any over-the-counter medicines or supplements, which have NOT been ordered by my doctor?

Yes. To protect you from potential bleeding complications, please stop any of the following medications or supplements at least seven to 10 days prior to surgery if they have not been ordered by a doctor: aspirin, ibuprofen (e.g., Motrin®, Advil®), vitamin E, and nutritional or health-food supplements. Please refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages three days prior to and three days after your appointment, since alcohol increases your risk of bleeding.

Do I need antibiotics prior to Mohs surgery?

Not usually. However, we recommend antibiotics 30 to 60 minutes prior to your surgery in the following situations:

• if you have had joint replacement surgery within the past year;
• if you have an artificial heart or heart valves;
• if you have a history of endocarditis/infected heart valves; or
• if you have severe dysfunction of a heart valve.

If you qualify for any of these situations, please call the office where your procedure will be performed at least two to three days before your appointment so we can prescribe an appropriate antibiotic.

Can I eat before surgery?

Yes. We recommend that you eat a normal breakfast prior to your arrival. If your surgery requires several stages, there are opportunities to grab a snack or lunch during the day. You may prefer to pack a lunch or bring some snacks with you.