Moh’s Surgery
- Posted on: Mar 30 2019
If you have a skin lesion that you fear may be cancerous, it’s easy to jump into panic mode. There are so many warnings these days about wearing sunscreen every day and avoiding skin cancer, that it can be a little scary to find that you actually have what everyone is trying so worried about.
But, before you start letting your concerns get the best of you, it’s important to understand that there are different types of skin cancer, and many can be safely removed with great odds for you and your health. Keep reading to learn about the Moh’s surgery procedure, and how it can be used to help remove cancerous spots from your skin.
Step 1
The roots of skin cancer may extend beyond the visible portion of the tumor, and it’s important to collect all of the important tissue. If the entire tumor isn’t removed, the cancer will come back. The surgery starts with your provider examining the visible lesion and determining what tissue to remove.
Step 2
We remove the visible portion of the tumor using careful, specific surgical techniques.
Step 3
After that, we remove a slightly deeper layer of skin and split it up into sections. These sections are then color-coded with dyes. Reference marks are made on the skin to show the source of each section. A map of the surgical site is drawn so we can track exactly where each portion of tissue came from.
Step 4
In a lab, your provider uses a microscope to examine the undersurface and edges of each section of tissue, looking for any signs of cancer.
Step 5
If we find cancer cells under the microscope, we mark their location on the “map” and return to the patient to remove another slightly deeper layer of skin.
Step 6
The removal process stops when there is no longer any evidence of cancer in the surgical site. Because Moh’s surgery removes only tissue containing cancer, it means making the smallest scar and leaving the most healthy skin intact.
If you’re interested in learning more about Moh’s surgery and how we can help, give us a call at (303) 761-7797 to schedule a consultation today.
Posted in: Blog Post, Mohs Surgery