When is Mohs Surgery used?
Mohs is mostly used for cancers that are in cosmetically very important areas (like the head and neck), areas where the surgical wound needs to be kept as small as possible to help us close it and give you a good functional and cosmetic outcome (like the hands or shins), or when a cancer is over 2 cm on areas like the back. Mohs has the highest cure rates of any of the treatment modalities – 97-99% for most cancers treated.
Treatment notes
After the surgery, it is important to not let water in the shower wash over the area for at least 2 days (areas like lower legs should be 4 days) because the area will not be water tight and if you let dirty water wash over a surgery site that is not yet water tight, that can cause an infection.
Also, please do not do any activity that puts direct pull or pressure to the area for 6 weeks so that the wound can heal without being stressed.
Please look the site over once a month and let us know if you ever see signs that it has returned. Please also let us know if you experience any unusual site effects now or in the future.
What to do next?
If you have been diagnosed with a Basal Cell Cancer or a Squamous Cell Cancer please take a few minutes to see if it meets criteria to be treated with Mohs on the American Academy of Dermatology FREE app for Mohs. If it meets criteria for Mohs, please ask your dermatologist why they did not suggest it for you.