Mohs Surgery

Mohs surgery is a specialized surgical technique developed by Frederic Mohs, MD, in the 1930s. The procedure involves removing skin cancer in layers. After each layer is removed, it is examined under a microscope to determine whether any cancer remains and, if so, its precise location.

Because the surgeon uses a microscope to map exactly where cancer cells remain, cancerous tissue can be removed while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible. This minimizes scarring and achieves the highest cure rate of all skin cancer treatments, up to 99%.

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia in the office and, in almost all cases, is completed in a single day. It is especially valuable for basal and squamous cell carcinomas on the head, neck, hands, feet, and genitalia, and for large or recurrent cancers.