What is Mohs Micrographic Surgery?

Mohs surgery is a highly effective treatment for certain types of skin cancer. It is a precise, tissuesparing surgical technique in which the dermatologist performs both surgical excision of the skin cancer and microscopic examination of the surgical margins to help ensure that skin cancer cells have been removed.

Click here to view the steps involved in a Mohs procedure.
Click here to view the Mohs Patient Brochure.

For many patients, Mohs micrographic surgery is the best method for removing basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma skin cancers. For these types of cancer, Mohs produces very high cure rates.

Mohs surgeons remove a thin layer of skin at the cancer site and examine the tissue sample under microscope to look for cancer cells. This process is repeated with additional layers of skin until cancer is no longer detected. Unlike other techniques that require an estimation of how far the cancer has spread, Mohs surgery is very good at eliminating skin cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue intact.