EdhaCare - Mohs Surgery In India

Mohs surgery is a precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. During Mohs surgery, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains. Mohs surgery is also known as Mohs micrographic surgery.

The goal of Mohs surgery is to remove as much of the skin cancer as possible, while doing minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Mohs surgery is usually done on an outpatient basis using a local anaesthetic.

Mohs surgery is an improvement to standard surgery (local excision), which involves removing the visible cancer and a small margin of surrounding healthy tissue all at once. Mohs surgery allows surgeons to verify that all cancer cells have been removed at the time of surgery. This increases the chance of a cure and reduces the need for additional treatments or additional surgery.

As with any surgical procedure, Mohs surgery carries the risk of:

• Bleeding
• Pain or tenderness around the surgical site
• Infection

Other complications that may result from Mohs surgery are uncommon but may include:

• Temporary or permanent numbness surrounding the surgical area, if small nerve endings are cut
• Temporary or permanent weakness of the surgical area, if the tumor is large and a muscle nerve is severed
• Itching or shooting pain in the affected area
• An enlarged scar (keloid)

After all of the cancer has been removed, you and your surgeon can decide on how to repair the wound. Depending on the extent of the operation, this might include:

• Letting the wound heal on its own (healing by second intention)
• Using stitches to close the wound (primary closure)
• Shifting skin from an adjacent area (skin flap) to cover the wound
• Using a skin graft from another part of the body, such as behind the ear, to cover the wound

If the surgical area is extensive or complex, your surgeon may temporarily close your wound and then refer you to another surgeon for reconstructive surgery to repair the wound.