Skin Cancer Treatment with Mohs Surgery
Mohs surgery is one of the most effective procedures proven to treat skin cancer. Performed by specially-trained dermatologists around the world, this surgical technique is microscopically controlled to treat different forms of skin cancer. Mohs surgery is a treatment procedure developed by a general surgeon Frederic E. Mohs in 1938 and is known to have a cure rate of around 98% for the most common type of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma. Also known as chemosurgery, Mohs surgery is one of the most effective treatments available to patients with cancers in difficult areas like the ear, nose and lips.
What Exactly is Mohs Surgery?
- The procedure: Mohs surgery is a precise surgical procedure, which is controlled microscopically to eliminate the cancer containing skin cells. The procedure involves the removal of one or more layers of skin containing cancerous cells. The procedure ends once the dermatologist finds skin tissue without any cancerous cells. This procedure is precise in that can remove the cancerous skin layers without affecting the healthy tissue surrounding it. One advantage of Mohs surgery over the standard procedures it enables surgeons to verify that all the cancerous cells are removed.
- Recovery: Mohs Surgery is usually an outpatient procedure, performed with local anesthesia. The recovery period may be anywhere between 2 weeks and 4 weeks, depending on the extent of the surgery and the stage of cancer being treated. After the surgery, your dermatologist may either stitch up the wound or leave it to heal naturally. Sometimes, healthy skin tissue from other parts of the body is used to reconstruct the part of the body where a lot of skin has been removed.
Interested in Learning More About Mohs Surgery? Contact Pacific Derm Center.
For more information about Mohs Surgery, contact our team of doctors today. We are located at two convenient locations in Seattle and Renton, Washington and can be reached directly at 206.859.5777. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
