Bryden Building 1
4851 South Interstate 35E
Suite 101
Corinth, Texas 76210
Phone: 940-591-0900
Fax: 940-220-6444
What is Mohs Surgery?
Mohs surgery is a specific type of skin cancer removal procedure named after Dr. Frederick Mohs who developed the technique in the 1930s. With this technique, specially-trained dermatologists remove skin cancers one layer at a time, ensuring all the cancer has been completely removed prior to reconstruction while also removing the least amount of non-cancerous tissue possible.
What are the advantages of Mohs surgery?
Mohs surgery offers the highest cure rates for skin cancer, which are usually 95-99%. In contrast, other methods available to treat high-risk skin cancers have cure rates of 50-90%.
The reason that Mohs surgery is so effective is because it allows for evaluation of 100% of the surgical margin and allows the surgeon to detect any “roots” of cancer that were left behind. In addition, it is very safe since it is performed using only local anesthesia.
Why does my skin cancer need Mohs surgery?
Mohs surgery is used for skin cancers which are at higher risk for forming subclinical extensions or “roots” which are invisible to the eye. These cancers can be much bigger than they look on the surface, much like the tip of an iceberg. Mohs surgery is indicated in the treatment of skin cancers:
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located on or in close proximity to the nose, eyelids, lips, ears, scalp, hands, or feet
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that are recurrent (have come back after being treated before)
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that have aggressive pathology on the biopsy
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that are large
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that are rapidly growing
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that cannot be clearly defined
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that occur in immunosuppressed patients
