What is Mohs Surgery
Mohs surgery is a simple procedure in which cancer cells in the skin are removed. The actual procedure involves removing and examining under a microscope a sample of skin, which will indicate whether or not the cancerous cells have been completely extracted from the patient.
First Stage of Mohs Surgical Procedure
Mohs surgery can occur in two or more stages. During the first stage, the surgeon advises the patient to avoid aspirin and other drugs that prevent clotting. Since the actual procedure is simple, it is performed on an outpatient basis, with the doctor only applying a local anesthetic to the patient. The surgeon injects the anesthetic into the cancerous site, numbing it so that the patient won't feel any pain. Using a curette, which is an instrument shaped like a spoon, the doctor extracts the tumor as well as 1/16th of an inch of apparently normal skin. This is done to determine for comparative reasons how many cancerous cells are lurking in the patient's skin. The doctor scrapes and cuts the area in such a way that will provide him with a skin sample that is flattened on the bottom. This makes it easier to study the sample. The entire process takes only 10 to 15 minutes.
Second Stage of Mohs Surgical Procedure
The second stage of the procedure occurs when the doctor studies the skin sample to determine if and how many cancerous cells are still present in the patient. The doctor makes a map of the cancerous site, which he will use as a guide during the following stages of the procedure. If there are still cancerous cells remaining in the patient's skin, the doctor marks the location on the map where these cells were recovered, then moves into the third stage of the procedure. The doctor applies another anesthetic to the patient and continues to remove any and all cancer cells left in the skin. The doctor will continue to perform this procedure until the cancer is removed completely.
Tags: cancerous cells, skin doctor, actual procedure, anesthetic patient, cancer cells, cancerous site