Mohs Micrographic Surgery is the most advanced and effective treatment procedure for skin cancer available today. Initially developed by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, the Mohs procedure has been continuously refined over 70 years. With the Mohs technique, physicians are able to see beyond the visible disease, to precisely identify and remove the entire tumor layer by layer while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue intact and unharmed. As the most exact and precise method of tumor removal, it minimizes the chance of re-growth and lessens the potential for scarring or disfigurement.

Mohs surgery has the highest success rate of all treatments for skin cancer – up to 99 percent for new cancers and 95 percent for recurrent cancers. The Mohs technique is also the treatment of choice for cancers of the face and other sensitive areas as it relies on the accuracy of a microscopic surgical procedure to trace the edges of the cancer and ensure complete removal of all tumors down to the roots during the initial surgery. Other indications for Mohs Surgery include cancers that have been previously treated and recurred, cancers that are large, cancers with difficult to define edges, and rapidly growing cancers.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery is primarily used to treat basal and squamous cell carcinomas, but can be used to treat less common tumors including some forms of melanoma.

Mohs physicians are trained as surgeons, pathologists, and reconstructive surgeons. Members of the American College of Mohs Surgery have completed an accredited Fellowship in Mohs Surgery that ensures proficiency in the technique through at least a year of training under a senior Mohs surgeon. Thus, after being cured of the cancer, most patients are able to have immediate repair of the defect. For patients with unusual or larger defects, occasionally collaboration with other surgical specialists is required.