Mohs surgery
Learn about Mohs surgery, a highly effective procedure to treat certain types of skin cancer at Montage Health.
What’s Mohs surgery?
During Mohs surgery, a surgeon removes a very thin layer of skin and then checks the tissue under a microscope. If your doctor sees cancer cells, another thin layer is removed and examined. Your doctor will repeat the procedure until the skin samples are free of cancer cells.
Is Mohs surgery right for me?
With a cure rate of 98 percent, the Mohs procedure is one of the most effective and precise options for superficial skin cancer. Superficial means the cancer is only in the upper layer of the skin and hasn’t spread into the deeper skin layers.
Your doctor may recommend this treatment if:
- You have basal or squamous cell cancer, the most common types of skin cancer
- The tumor is large with ill-defined edges (borders that are hard to see) and in an area on the body that’s well-suited for surgery
- Cancer has come back after other treatments
What to expect
You’ll receive an injection of local anesthetic (numbing medicine that prevents pain). During Mohs surgery, your doctor will do the least possible harm to the surrounding tissue while effectively removing all signs of cancer.
Because this procedure is usually an outpatient, in-office procedure, you’ll be able to go home afterward. Follow your doctor’s instructions on how to take care of the incision area.
Complete skin cancer care
Explore Montage Health’s approach to skin cancer care, including other treatment options that may be right for you.
