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For skin cancer surgery, a Mohs surgeon is often involved. A Mohs surgeon is a board certified dermatologist who has undergone extra training, so they can perform surgery and diagnose the pathology of the cancer. A Mohs surgery is done in multiple stages. A Mohs surgeon will remove the initial tumor and then look at the surrounding skin cells under a microscope to ensure that all the cancer has been removed. The patient will have a temporary bandage placed over the incision, while the surgeon will look at the cells and then go back in for further cell removal until all of the surrounding areas appear clear of cancer. This type of surgery not only results in the highest cure rate, but often has the smallest scar. Mohs surgeries are used for nonmelanoma skin cancer if they are on the face and are six millimeters in size, or if they’re any size and are on the lip, ear, eyes or nose. If the nonmelanoma cancer is larger than two centimeters anywhere on the body, a Mohs surgery could be performed to remove it. Also, other factors might play into whether a Mohs surgery is needed, including whether the cancer is recurring in the same spot as the previous cancer, or it previously has been irradiated, or the person is immune compromised.
