Receiving a diagnosis of skin cancer is frightening. This is about you and your life, so of course you want the most advanced treatment available, with the highest cure rate, while minimizing the loss of your normal tissues. Mohs micrographic surgery is the cutting-edge in skin cancer treatments.
Following your Mohs surgery, Dr. Thompson specializes in offering precise, reconstructive surgical repair.
First, a little background: Mohs surgery is the single most effective technique for removing Basal Cell and Squamous Cell carcinomas, the two most common skin cancers. Dr. Frederick Mohs developed the technique in the 1930s, and Mohs surgery continues to stand the test of time.
Additionally:
- Mohs surgery differs from other techniques in that microscopic examination of the excised tissue occurs during rather than after the surgery. This eliminates the need for the surgeon to estimate the depth of the cancer cells. This is the key to the success of the Mohs procedure.
- Mohs surgery removes the cancer cells while sparing the greatest amount of healthy tissue. Basal and Squamous cell cancer cure rates are 98% percent or higher with Mohs surgery – significantly higher than the rates for any other method.
- During Mohs surgery, one thin layer of tissue is removed at a time. As each layer is removed, its margins are studied under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells. If the margins are cancer-free, the surgery ends. If the margins are not cancer-free, additional tissue is removed, and the procedure is repeated until clear, cancer-free margins are obtained. The guesswork is eliminated, and the most optimum surgical and cosmetic results are obtained.
If you have had a cancerous growth removed by Mohs surgery and would like to consult with Dr. Thompson about reconstructing the affected area, call to schedule a consultation appointment, today.