What Does a Dermatologist Do During Mohs Micrographic Surgery?

Mohs surgery is a fast and effective procedure for skin cancer and can be easy to understand too. Here are the four main stages involved with Mohs surgery performed by Manhattan Dermatology & Laser Center.

Stage 1: Removing Cancerous Tissue The medical skin cancer surgeon removes any cancer that is visible on the skin’s surface. A thin layer of extra tissue is cut out as well. This stage of surgery is complete in just a few minutes.

Stage 2: Reviewing the Removed Tissue The separated skin is cut into segments to help pinpoint the cancer’s location. It is then stained to highlight where the cancerous cells are, and marked on an elaborate diagram. The removed skin is subjected to freezing on a cryostat. Outside layers are sliced away, then carefully placed on slides for further examination. Mohs map is used at this time to identify and label any cancerous tissue. If detected, all cancer cells are removed. As you can see, stage 2 is the longest part of Mohs surgery. It can take more than an hour for the entire process to be completed. Fortunately, there will be less tissue to analyze after each repetition of the procedure.

Stage 3: Repeating Until Finished Stages 1 and 2 are repeated until no cancerous tissue remains.

Stage 4: Repairing the Skin The area that was operated on is now ready to begin its natural healing process. This process is a proven way for our certified skin cancer surgeon to remove the cancerous skin, but nothing more. If you’d like to know more about the effectiveness of our surgery, performed in the heart of Manhattan, contact our dermatology office today.