Mohs Micrographic Surgery

What is Mohs Surgery?

Mohs micro­graph­ic surgery is a step-wise sur­gi­cal tech­nique to remove skin can­cer. This process was first devel­oped by Dr. Fred­er­ic Mohs in the 1930s at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Wis­con­sin-Madi­son. Mohs surgery offers the high­est cure rate for local­ized skin can­cer, up to 99 per­cent for skin can­cers that have not been pre­vi­ous­ly treat­ed. Mohs surgery is pri­mar­i­ly used to treat basal cell car­ci­no­ma and squa­mous cell car­ci­no­ma and is appro­pri­ate for skin can­cers locat­ed on the scalp, face, neck, hands, feet, and gen­i­tals where it is impor­tant to pre­serve healthy tis­sue. Oth­er indi­ca­tions include skin can­cers in areas of pri­or radi­a­tion, skin can­cers that have been pre­vi­ous­ly treat­ed and have regrown, aggres­sive skin can­cers, skin can­cers that are grow­ing rapid­ly, and skin can­cers in immuno­com­pro­mised patients. Your physi­cian will dis­cuss with you if Mohs micro­graph­ic surgery is the appro­pri­ate treat­ment for your skin can­cer based on skin can­cer type, loca­tion and size.