_edited_edited.png)
MOHS Surgery
MOHS surgery is unique and so effective because of the way the removed tissue is microscopically examined, evaluating 100% of the surgical margin. The pathologic interpretation of the tissue margins is done on site by the Dr. Yoo, who is specially trained in the reading of these slides and is best able to correlate any microscopic findings with the surgical site on the patient.
High Cure Rate
MOHS surgery ensures complete cancer removal during surgery, virtually eliminating the chance of the cancer growing back. This procedure has cured skin cancer when other methods have failed.
Minimal Healthy Tissue Loss
One of the advantages of Mohs surgery is that only cancerous tissue is removed. This means that your healthy tissue is spared.
Same-Day Results
Analyzing tissue in real-time provides immediate confirmation that the margins are clear before the wound is repaired.
Fast Recover
You’ll receive local anesthesia to numb the area, so you’ll recover faster compared to general anesthesia or sedation.
The Mohs procedure involves surgically removing skin cancer layer by layer and examining the tissue under a microscope until healthy, cancer-free tissue around the tumor is reached (called clear margins). Because the Dr. Yoo is specially trained as a cancer surgeon, pathologist, and reconstructive surgeon, Mohs surgery has the highest success rate of all treatments for skin cancer – up to 99%.
1. Tissue Removal
The surgery will begin with the numbing of the skin around the cancer cells with an injected anesthetic. Dr. Yoo will remove any visible, raised area of the tumor as well as a thin layer of tissue from the site (trying to preserve as much healthy skin as possible).
2. Microscopic Examination
The tissue will then be immediately frozen, cut and stained, a process that varies in duration by case. Dr. Yoo will then examine the entire bottom and outer edges of the removed tissue layer under a microscope to check for any remaining cancer cells.
3. Mapping and Layering
If there are any cancer cells in the sample, their precise location will be identified and an additional thin layer of tissue from the area where cancer cells remain will be removed. This process of microscopic examination and removal of additional layers of tissue continues until there are no more cancer cells.
4. Reconstruction
After complete removal of the skin cancer, Dr. Yoo will discuss the best method of managing and repairing your wound. While treatment of your skin cancer is your primary concern, reconstruction of the treated area is also important. In addition to removing skin cancer, fellowship trained MOHS College surgeons have specialized reconstructive surgery training for repairing the wound.
You want your skin cancer treatment to be performed with the highest standards of quality and competency. The American College of Mohs Surgery is the only organization that requires its members to have successfully completed an extensive fellowship that requires at least one full year of training and hands-on experience provided by highly qualified instructors after completing their years of residency training.
Before surgery, you’ll visit us for a physical exam of the site and surrounding tissue. Together we will review your medical history and medications, the results from your biopsy, your diagnosis of skin cancer, your treatment options, and the risks/benefits of MOHS surgery.
MOHS surgery can take anywhere from a few hours to the whole day. The duration of the procedure takes depends on the tumor itself: bigger, deeper tumors take longer to remove.
Most patients recover within 1 to 2 weeks, though healing time depends on the size and location of the wound. While initial healing happens quickly, scars from MOHS surgery continue to heal for 12 to 18 months after your procedure. Following surgery, Dr. Yoo will give you instructions for aftercare to allow for optimal healing. Please call our office if you experience extensive bleeding, pain that lasts for days and can’t be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers, and signs of infection.
