Understanding Your Mohs Surgery Options: From Diagnosis to Recovery

Skin cancer is surprisingly common — in fact, it’s the most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. That’s an interesting statistic — but if you’ve just been diagnosed with skin cancer, it doesn’t make that diagnosis any easier to take.

The good news: Mohs surgery has revolutionized the way dermatologists treat the most common types of skin cancer, using a special technique that achieves up to a 99% cure rate for people with basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. 

Our team at Luminary Dermatology wants you to understand why we often recommend this treatment. Here, we explain how Mohs surgery works, from the moment your cancer is diagnosed all the way through the recovery process.

Mohs surgery basics: How it works

Named for the surgeon who first used the technique, Mohs surgery is considered a skin-sparing surgery, meaning that it removes the least amount of tissue necessary to clear the cancerous lesion while preserving as much surrounding healthy tissue as possible. 

This approach makes it especially good for lesions in visible areas like your face or for lesions near joints or other functional areas of your body where a larger incision and more extensive tissue damage could cause problems.

Mohs achieves this tissue-sparing advantage by using a completely different technique compared to traditional skin cancer excisions. In those procedures, your dermatologist maps out the excision site prior to the procedure. 

With Mohs surgery, we remove a thin layer of the visible lesion first, then examine that tissue under a microscope, paying close attention to the edges or margins of the lesion. If the examination reveals the margins are clear, we close the incision and the procedure is complete. 

But if the exam reveals cancer cells at one or more margins, we mark those areas and take additional very thin samples, repeating the examination process until all margins are clear. This ensures we remove all of the cancerous cells while still minimizing the amount of healthy tissue removed.

What is the Mohs procedure like?

We perform Mohs surgery right in our office using local anesthesia to numb the site. Once the area is numb, we remove the visible lesion — the part of the cancer we can see. A pathologist examines the tissue under a microscope — again, right on site — while you wait in a waiting area.

If the margins are clear, we close the incision with a bandage, sutures, or — for larger excisions sites — a skin flap or graft. After a brief recovery period, you go home with instructions for aftercare.

If the margins show additional cancer cells, we bring you back in, ensure the area remains numb, and remove additional tissue for testing. This stepwise approach means it’s difficult to say exactly how long your appointment will be, but it’s best to block out several hours, just in case.

After Mohs surgery

It’s common to have some minor swelling, redness, discomfort, and bruising in the area around the surgical site — effects that go away as the area recovers. We provide you with detailed instructions for caring for the area, changing the dressing, and keeping it clean without causing irritation.

Any activity restrictions you may have are based on the size and location of the lesion. We’re happy to answer your questions anytime during your recovery.

Expect a follow-up visit so we can check on your progress and make sure the area is healing well. Afterward, it’s important to maintain regular visits with our team to look for new cancers so we can treat them as soon as possible. We also provide tips to help you reduce your risk of developing skin cancers in the future.

Prompt treatment is the key to optimal outcomes

While basal cell and squamous cell cancers respond very well to medical treatment, when that treatment is delayed, these cancers can spread and become far more serious. If you have an unusual lesion or any type of suspicious-looking spot on your skin, prompt diagnosis is essential for preventing complications and ensuring the best outcome. 

If you have an unusual spot that needs to be evaluated or if you’re overdue for your annual skin check, book an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Luminary Dermatology in North Miami Beach, Kendall, Homestead, Sarasota, Venice, Longboat Key, Bradenton, and North Port, Florida.