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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY
From Dan E. Rowe M.D. And Kevin L. Kiene,
M.D. WHAT IS MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY? Mohs Micrographic Surgery was developed about 50 years ago by Dr. Fred Mohs as a new method to remove difficult skin cancers. The technique had 2 advantages over standard skin cancer surgery: 1. It had
a higher cure rate than any other technique As word of Dr. Mohs success spread, he began training dermatologists in his technique (called simply “The Mohs technique or “Mohs”) Today the Mohs technique is considered the most precise way to remove skin cancers. WHAT KIND OF TRAINING IS REQUIRED TO PRACTICE “MOHS”? Drs. Rowe and Kiene both completed Medical School and general dermatology at UCLA Medical School. In addition, they both fulfilled a very intensive 1-year fellowship in Mohs surgery at the prestigious University of British Columbia Skin Cancer Centre. This extra training and the experience of hundreds of cases is necessary to become members of the ACMMSCO (American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology). Dr. Kiene and Dr. Rowe are currently the only two members of the ACMMSCO in all of Northern Nevada. WHY HAVE I BEEN REFERRED FOR MOHS SURGERY? Your doctor (s) feels that for this particular skin cancer, the Mohs technique is the most appropriate method to remove the lesion, while sparing as much of your normal skin as possible. Typically, the Mohs technique is used for large skin cancers of the trunk, neck and extremities, and for smaller skin cancers found near “sensitive” areas, such as, the face, nose, eyes, ears and lips. WHAT CAN I EXPECT THE DAY OF THE SURGERY? The procedure takes a minimum of 2 hours but can go much longer, depending on the severity of your cancer. After filling out all the paperwork, the area around your cancer will be numbed up using local anesthetic. Your doctor will then take a small saucer shaped piece of tissue around and underneath your cancer site. The nurse will then bandage up the area and you can relax and wait in a separate, smaller waiting room. During the next 45 minutes to 1 hour, a specialized technician will turn the piece of tissue into a microscopic slide. The doctor reviews the slide and determines if any cancerous cells are remaining. If all the cancer is gone, your lesion site will be sewn up and bandaged. Otherwise, the procedure will be repeated until all the cancer is gone. On the rare occasions, where the cancer lesions are too large to be repaired in our office, expert reconstructive surgeons are recruited to assist us. CAN I EAT BEFORE THIS PROCEDURE? Yes. Mohs surgery is done under local anesthetic, so you can eat before and during this procedure. DO I NEED TO STOP MY MEDICINE BEFORE SURGERY? As a general rule, no. If you take aspirin (even baby aspirin) you should stop taking it 10 days before the surgery day and if you take coumadin, it should be stopped 3 days before the surgery. Always let your primary care doctor and our office know about stopping these medicines to ensure your safety. WILL I NEED ANTIBIOTICS BEFORE SURGERY? As a general rule, no. If you have been told to have antibiotics before any procedures are done, please call our office so we can plan accordingly. SHOULD SOMEONE ACCOMPANY ME TO THE SURGERY? We recommend at least 1 friend or family member accompany all patients. This individual can then drive you home after the procedure, and keep you company during the processing time. WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED AND HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU: We have two locations for your convenience:
SKIN CANCER AND DERMATOLOGY INSTITUTE
SKIN CANCER AND DERMATOLOGY INSTITUTE
Call
(800) 784-0422
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