If you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer, you likely have a number of concerns around the effectiveness of its removal and the invasiveness of the procedure. Mohs surgery may be the answer you’re looking for.
Mohs surgery is one of the most effective, least invasive techniques for treating skin cancers, especially for basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, the two most common types of skin cancer. The single-visit outpatient procedure involves a specially trained doctor who performs the surgery in stages, including the removal of cancerous cells in layers and the lab work needed to review the extracted cells, all while the patient waits. This allows the removal of cancerous cells while sparing healthy tissue and leaving minimal scarring.
“Mohs surgery is unique in that you’re peeling very thin layers of the skin to remove the cancer while sparing as much healthy surrounding skin as possible,” says Dr. Stacey Tull, a trained Mohs surgeon at St. Charles County Dermatologic Surgery. “This procedure has the highest cure rate—up to 99 percent for primary tumors. And it’s the most precise treatment for skin cancer. You get 100 percent examination of the tumor margin.
“Only about half our patients require stitches with Mohs,” adds Dr. Tull. “I’m able to take paper-thin tissue layers in cancers that are superficial enough, when the skin cancers have been caught early and when the biopsy sites have had enough time to heal.”
Health care providers who perform Mohs surgery play three key roles: They are the surgeon who removes the cancerous cells, the pathologist who analyzes the labs, and the plastic surgeon who reconstructs the wound. All this means that patients spend a good part of the day at the surgical office.
“Each skin cancer is unique and may or may not have superficial or deep roots, which determine how complex the treatment will be,” says Dr. Tull. “That’s something we can’t predict. The cancer is removed in a methodical, step-wise fashion, and doing the lab work in-house takes time. So most of our patients spend their day with us.”
That’s why such clinics as Dr. Tull’s strive to make the experience as comfortable as possible for patients. St. Charles County Dermatologic Surgery offers Pro-Nox, a nitrous oxide system for pain relief that helps keep patients comfortable and calm during the procedure. Patients control their own intake, so they can stay alert while managing pain, discomfort, and anxiety.
“In addition to pain management, we try to make your time with us as pleasant as possible, so we use a queueing system to update you on your status throughout the day of the surgery, and we have a special Mohs lounge equipped with charging ports, high-speed Wifi and TVs, as well as complimentary snacks and drinks,” says Dr. Tull. “We even send you home with a care package, a post-procedure gift pack with everything you need for post-surgical care and comfort.”
There are only a handful of Mohs specialists in any given region. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with skin cancer, consider consulting with your physician and St. Charles County Dermatologic Surgery to learn more about your treatment options.
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of St. Charles County Dermatologic Surgery.
