Mohs Technique: Precision Surgery
Sometime referred to as micrographic surgery, Mohs surgery is a
precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. Layers of
cancer-containing skin are progressively removed and examined
during Mohs surgery until only cancer-free tissue remains.
The goal of Mohs surgery is to remove as much of the skin cancer as
possible, while doing minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
The technique is an improvement to standard surgery which involves
removing the visible cancer and a small margin of healthy tissue all at
once.
Importantly, Mohs surgery allows the surgeons to verify that all
cancer cells have been removed at the time of the surgery. The
technique reduces the need for additional treatments or additional
surgery and increases the chance of a cure.
Mohs surgery is usually done on an outpatient basis using a local
anesthetic.
Fredric Edward Mohs, a physician and general surgeon, developed
the Mohs micrographic surgery technique in 1938, while still a
medical student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.