What is mohs surgery?

Mohs surgery removes a skin cancer one layer at a time. The doctor checks each layer for cancer cells until no more cancer is found.

This method lets the doctor save as much healthy tissue as possible.

This surgery is mostly used for areas of skin you can see or where scarring is a bigger concern, such as on the ears, nose, or eyelids.

It is also used for skin cancer that is likely to return, is growing fast, or has a high risk of spreading.

Mohs surgery may be used for removal of skin cancer that:

• Is likely to return. Mohs surgery works well for getting cancer-free margins for cancers that have irregular borders and a history of removal and recurrence.
• Is located in visible areas or areas where skin tissue should be preserved, such as on the ears, nose, or eyelids.
• Is growing quickly.
• Has a high risk of spreading to other parts of the body, such as in some squamous cell carcinomas.
• Occurs in children.

You will be awake during the surgery. Your doctor will give you medicine to numb the area so you won't feel pain. When the skin is numb, your doctor will start to remove the cancer and a small amount of healthy tissue, one layer of skin at a time.

Each layer of tissue is checked right away under a microscope. If cancer is found, another layer is removed and checked. Layers are removed until no more cancer is found.

Mohs surgery can be an effective treatment for skin cancer. This technique preserves as much nearby healthy skin as possible. It works well for both squamous cell skin cancer and basal cell skin cancer to spare healthy tissue and prevent the cancer from coming back.