Mohs surgery is one of today’s best operative solutions for skin cancer removal, biopsy, site reconstruction, and more. Mohs procedures give both patient and physician confidence that a cancerous lesion has been treated effectively.
Let’s learn how it works and where you can go for Mohs surgery in Coral Gables, FL.
Why Doctors Use Mohs Surgery
Mohs surgery is an operative technique first developed and utilized by Western physicians before the mid-twentieth century. It removes suspected cancerous skin lesions layer by layer. Mohs techniques accurately remove and microscopically analyze each sample before proceeding more deeply into the tissue.
Additionally, the Mohs surgeon maps the suspected cancer areas at each stage so that the least amount of tissue possible is removed. This limits post-operative pain and scarring and gives a high degree of accuracy to biopsy results.
In fact, Mohs surgery features a skin cancer cure rate of 99 percent for new lesions and 95 percent for cancers that received before treatment. Mohs techniques are appropriate for both basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, the two most prevalent skin cancers.
What Mohs Surgery Entails
Mohs surgeries are outpatient procedures involving local anesthesia to numb the operative areas. Most surgeries take one to five hours, with tumors removed in one to four stages.
As a patient waits for biopsy results from each stage, he or she relaxes in our comfortable waiting area. The site is covered with a loose bandage, and the patient may read, watch TV, and snack while the tissue is analyzed.
As needed, the patient returns to the operating suite to remove the additional tissue. When site margins, or borders, are shown to be clear of cancer, the physician closes the wound with sutures. If required, the surgeon does reconstruction with special suturing techniques, a skin graft from another area of the body, or a skin flap adjacent to the operated site. Some wounds close without sutures or reconstruction of any kind, and site aesthetics normalize within months up to one year after Mohs surgery.
Results of Mohs Surgery
Most patients return to their regular routines shortly after Mohs surgery–even on the same day. Some people see redness and bruising around the surgical wounds, but these resolve within a week. Fortunately, Mohs surgery typically is a one, and it’s done procedure. It’s known for its high cure rate and less obvious scarring.
Board-certified Skin Surgeon in Coral Gables, FL
At the Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center in Coral Gables, FL, Dr. Giufffrida and his professional team provide skin cancer patients with the accurate treatments they need and the peace of mind they deserve. Mohs surgery is one of their specialties.
If you have a question or concern about skin cancer,call us today at (305) 461-2000, or request a consultation online. We will be happy to discuss your health needs and offer solutions that work.
