Understanding Mohs Surgery- All You Need to Know

People begin to worry when a growth that appeared on the skin gets bigger and does not seem to go away. It is usually a sign that you might be having serious problems that require an advanced medical checkup. Luckily, various treatment options give amazing skin results. Robert Skaggs, MD, FAAD, is a Bowling Green surgical dermatology specialist who works to give you beautiful and healthy skin with long-lasting results.

Mohs surgery is a form of surgical dermatology that treats skin cancer with a high success rate. Here is everything you need to know about the procedure.

When is Mohs surgery necessary?

The surgery is used to treat specific skin cancers such as melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. Doctors recommend this treatment option for cancers that:

• Are found in sensitive areas. This helps minimize the damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
• Is aggressive such as basal cell carcinoma
• Is coming back for the second or third time
• Is quickly growing
• Affects an area with little tissue, such as the eye or nose
• Has affected a large area
• Affects patients with weak immune systems

Does Mohs surgery pose risks?

This form of treatment is a surgical procedure. Therefore, it poses the risks of other surgical processes, but the risks are minimal. They include infections, bleeding, and tende ess or pain near the surgical site. The procedure also has other complications that could result, but their chances are much less. They are:

• An enlarged scar
• Itching pain around the infected area
• Weakness around the surgical site. It could be temporary or permanent.
• Numbness in the surgical area that could also be temporary or permanent

Preparing for surgery

It is essential that you select a doctor who is skilled and experienced in performing Mohs surgery. Before the procedure, they will give you instructions to follow to prevent complications during surgery. They may be asked to:

• Stop smoking for a while to avoid affecting your healing process.
• Stop taking specific medications such as blood-thinning treatments that could increase the risks of excess bleeding. It would help if you were open with the surgeon about any medications you are taking.
• Not to make any other plans for the day; The treatment time will vary on the severity of your condition. It might take a few hours for some and a day for others. Therefore, you may also carry along something to pass the time.

The procedure

The surgeon injects you with an anesthetic to numb the skin not to experience discomfort during the procedure. They will then remove thin layers of your skin while observing with a microscope to ensure all the cancer growth has been removed. Sometimes, reconstructive surgery may be used if cancer has grown too much.

After completion, the specialist may leave the wound to heal independently or use stitches to close it up. You will return a few more times for the doctor to check on recovery.

Mohs surgery gives results instantly, but the surgeon might require you to make several other appointments in case cancer comes back. The treatment has a high success rate and is safe. Kentucky Skin Cancer Center offers Mohs surgery and other surgical dermatology procedures to keep your skin healthy. Book an appointment today.