Surgical Procedure
You will be treated by a consultant surgeon trained in Mohs surgery, pathology and reconstructive surgery. They may draw guide marks on your skin to highlight the lesion, before injecting you with a local anaesthetic.
The surgeon will remove a layer of cancerous tissue. Your wound will then be temporarily dressed and you take a break in a waiting area, whilst the surgeon colour codes the tissue, to create an orientation map.
A technician freezes the tissue, which is cut into thin sections and placed on slides. These are microscopically examined by the surgeon, to see if cancer cells remain.
If any exist, they are pinpointed on the map and you return to the operating room. Further anesthetic may not be needed but can be applied, before precise removal of another tissue layer, only where cancer cells remain.
The process is repeated, generally not many times, until the margins of the last removed tissue sample are completely cancer free. The wound will then normally be closed with stitches, or other cosmetic techniques if required.
Post Operative Support
Mohs micrographic surgeons are skilled in tissue reconstruction. In cases where the wound requires more than stitches, they can take care of aesthetic needs by using a skin flap technique, or through a skin graft.
In unusual cases, one of our plastic surgeons may implement reconstruction or closure at the time of cancer removal. After the wound is successfully closed, this will be dressed and a complete explanation given on how to take care of the incision.
If a few rounds of surgery are required, the procedure may take several hours, although each round is not too intensive and under local anaesthetic.
Regular breaks will have helped and in house facilities for rest after surgery. You will soon be able to return home, with your cancer in the past.
The procedure offers remarkable medical value, 100% of the tissue margins will have been examined with a microscope. Just cancer free tissue remains within your body, with minimal tissue loss and reduced scarring.
If you would like to find out more about how Mohs surgery can help in individual cases, please talk to our friendly staff at any time.
