What are the Steps Involved in Mohs Surgery?
Step
1: Removal of all visible portions of the
skin cancer and microscopic evaluation
of the entire cut edge of the removed skin |
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After numbing the area around the skin cancer by
injecting a local anesthetic, your Mohs surgeon
removes all visible portions of the skin cancer and
a thin margin of normal-appearing skin. A staff member places a temporary bandage over
the wound and takes you into our waiting room. While you’re waiting, your
Mohs surgeon examines
the entire cut edge of the
removed skin under
the microscope in our
laboratory.
If microscopic examination
shows that your cancer has
been completely removed,
you are ready to have your
wound repaired. By contrast, if microscopic
examination identifies
extensions of the cancer that
are not visible at the surface
of your skin, your Mohs
surgeon needs to remove
those precise areas where
the cancer still remains.
Subsequent
steps (may not be necessary): Removal
of any remaining cancer identified under
the microscope (not visible to the naked
eye) and microscopic evaluation of the
entire cut edge of the removed skin |
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If all of the cancer was not removed in the
previous stage, the staff member brings you
back to the operating room. In this subsequent
stage, your Mohs surgeon cuts out the precise
areas where cancer still remains. Once again, a temporary bandage is placed
over your wound and you’re taken to our
waiting room.
While you’re waiting,
your Mohs surgeon
examines the entire cut
edge of the removed skin
under the microscope in
our laboratory. This process of targeted
cancer removal and
complete microscopic
margin examination
will continue until your
Mohs surgeon finds
that all of the cancer has
been removed.
Final Step: Reconstruction
of the surgical wound |
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When all of the cancer has been removed, your
Mohs surgeon will discuss all the options for
repairing your wound with you.
In most cases, your Mohs surgeon immediately
repairs your wound with stitches. Larger wounds
may require a flap, which rearranges skin from
near the wound, or a graft, which borrows skin
from another site to cover the wound. In certain
cases, we may recommend letting the wound
heal on its own to achieve the best appearance.
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