Mohs Surgery

Mohs surgery is named after the procedure’s founder, Dr. Frederick Mohs, who developed the specific skin cancer treatment technique in 1938.

Mohs surgery is an outpatient procedure, which means it is performed in our comfortable, state-of-the-art clinic in Westerville, Ohio, rather than a hospital.

During the procedure, the surgeon will take a tissue sample of each skin layer and examine it under a microscope. At this time, you’ll wait in our comfortable office until the surgeon is done microscopically examining the tissue for remaining cancer cells.

Mohs surgery can technically be performed on any part of the body where skin cancer is present. However, Mohs surgery is often reserved for the treatment of skin cancer on sensitive areas of the body where skin preservation is essential, such as the face, neck, hands, feet, or genitals.

Additionally, Mohs surgery is recommended for skin cancers that have more aggressive microscopic features, regardless of where those skin cancers are located.

Mohs surgery is known as “The Gold Standard” of skin cancer treatment—and for good reason. This type of skin cancer treatment provides a wide range of exceptional benefits, including: 

For more information on the benefits of Mohs surgery, read our helpful blog here. And don’t forget to also read why you should choose a fellowship trained Mohs surgeon. 

Mohs surgery is known as “The Gold Standard” of skin cancer treatment—and for good reason. This type of skin cancer treatment provides a wide range of exceptional benefits, including: 

If you notice any of these skin cancer symptoms, it is very important to visit a board-certified dermatologist for a thorough skin cancer screening. Contact the Center for Surgical Dermatology to schedule a screening in Westerville, Ohio. Our team can help ease your worries or determine the best route for treatment.

Mohs surgery does not require general anesthesia, however your Mohs surgeon will use local anesthesia or a numbing agent to numb the area being treated. This helps reduce any discomfort you may experience during the procedure.

Mohs surgery uses local anesthesia or a numbing agent to numb the area being treated, which minimizes any pain. At the Center for Surgical Dermatology, our board-certified surgeons are exceptionally skilled in injection techniques to help make this part of your procedure as comfortable as possible.

Yes, Mohs surgery, much like many other surgeries, leaves a scar. The size and shape of the scar depends on the size and location of the area being treated. 

However, one of the top benefits of Mohs surgery is that it preserves as much healthy skin as possible, which minimizes scarring potential. 

Additionally, our surgeons are specifically trained in the same techniques used in plastic surgery to minimize the appearance of scars and essentially make them as unnoticeable as possible.

Mohs surgery has many benefits that make it one of the most trusted skin cancer treatments by dermatologists across the United States. With its unique detailed mapping technique, Mohs surgery can specifically pinpoint cancerous cells that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. 

As such, even the smallest cancerous root can be removed, making it one of the most dependable skin cancer treatments. This also lends to Mohs surgery’s lower rates of cancer recurrence and high cure rates. 

Additionally, with this technique, your surgeon removes only the cancerous tissue, which reduces scarring potential and maximizes the preservation of healthy skin. 

Due to these benefits, the Mohs technique is the treatment of choice for many cancers of the face and other critical body areas.

Our staff will escort you into the surgical suite where medical questions will be asked along with review of medications and a check of your blood pressure. The doctor will then numb, with a local anesthetic, the area around the skin cancer. We use a far less painful local anesthetic than most other physicians. While the injection may be uncomfortable, our patients routinely tell us that it hurts far less than injections they have received elsewhere.

Once numb, the visible cancer along with a thin layer of normal appearing tissue will be removed. This tissue is carefully mapped by the surgeon and taken to the lab to be processed. A temporary bandage is placed over the wound and you return to the reception area.

The surgical procedure alone takes only 10-15 minutes. However, it takes on the average 45-60 minutes to prepare and examine the tissues of each layer. Large skin cancers may take significantly longer. Although, there is no way to tell how many layers will be necessary to remove the entire cancer, most are removed in 3 layers or less.

Since we do not know in advance how much time is necessary to remove the skin cancer and repair the wound, we ask that you plan for the possibility of being in the office the entire day. Please do not make other commitments. Most patients are here, however, 3-4 hours.

Verbal instructions for wound care will be covered in detail after surgery. We will also provide a written set of instructions with contact numbers should you have additional questions.

When you leave, there will be a big bulky dressing over your surgical site, which needs to stay in place for the next 24 hours. Many patients choose to remain home the day after surgery. In general, this is a good idea. The doctor will tell you if any additional time off is needed. We are happy to provide a work excuse if necessary.

Please avoid strenuous activity for 1 week after surgery unless otherwise instructed. Activities that increase your heart rate and blood pressure (exercising, sports, lifting heavy objects, yard work) increase your chance of developing post-op complications including bleeding and infection.

Flying on an airplane can complicate your recovery and we request at least 48 hours after surgery before airplane travel.

Bruising and swelling vary considerably among patients. Assume that you will be bruised and/or swollen for a week or even longer. The site of your surgery and your activity level contributes to the amount of bruising and/or swelling you may have.

Mohs surgery is generally covered by most insurances. However, we recommend consulting with your insurance provider to make sure this skin cancer treatment is covered under your individual healthcare plan. 

After identifying one or two symptoms of skin cancer on your body, you will meet with a dermatologist for a professional skin cancer screening. If your dermatologist gives you a skin cancer diagnosis, they will provide you with a number of treatment options based on your individual circumstances. 

If Mohs surgery is the best possible choice, our team will work closely with you to find a calendar date that is ideal for your procedure and help you prepare with a handy Mohs surgery preparation guide. 

If you have already received a skin cancer diagnosis, we recommend you contact our dermatology office in Westerville, Ohio, and schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified dermatologists. After reviewing your individual case, we can determine if Mohs surgery is the ideal choice and schedule a date for your procedure.