Treatments & Conditions
- Acne
- Allergies
- Children’s Dermatology
- Cryosurgery
- Dermatitis
- Eczema
- Folliculitis & Ingrown Hair
- Genital Issues
- Hair Loss - Female
- Hair Loss - Male
- Hyperhidrosis
- IPL
- Laser Skin Treatment
- Leg Ulcers
- Leg Veins
- Moles
- Mole Mapping
- Nail Disorders
- PDL
- PDT - Photodynamic Therapy
- Oral Disease
- Pigmentation
- Psoriasis
- Rash Diagnosis
- Rosacea
- Sexual Health
- Skin Lesions & Angiomas
- Sun Damage
- Toe Nail Fungus
- VariLite™
- Vitiligo
- Warts & Skin Tags
Mohs Surgery
Mohs Surgery at Skin Care Network
Mohs Micrographic Surgery is a highly specialized technique used for the complete removal of skin cancer including basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. It is the gold standard for treating these cancers in high-risk areas of the skin. The Mohs surgeon follows the extensions of the tumour until all the cancerous tissue is completely removed. This technique has the highest cure rate of any treatment for such skin cancers and it also leaves the smallest of wounds while completely removing the tumour. This offers you a good long-term cosmetic outcome from your treatment.
At Skin Care Network we have invested in the highly specialised surgical and laboratory facilities required for Mohs surgery. In addition we are supported by well-trained Mohs nursing and technical staff or histopathology technician
Many skin cancers are deceptively large, being much more extensive under the skin than they appear to be from the surface. The advantages of Mohs surgery is that your Mohs surgeon will track these tumours along blood vessels, nerves or cartilage and remove all these cancerous ‘roots’.
Prior to Mohs surgery it is not possible to predict precisely how much skin will have to be removed. The final area might be only slightly larger than the initial skin cancer, but occasionally the removal of the deep ‘roots’ of a skin cancer results in a sizeable defect.
The benefit of Mohs surgery is that it removes only the cancerous tissue, while normal skin is spared. So Mohs surgery is particularly useful for cancers located in areas such as the nose, ears, eyelids, lips, hairline, hands, feet and genitals, where conservation of healthy tissue is important for cosmetic or functional purposes.
Treatment details
Most Mohs cases will be completed in three or fewer stages, requiring less than four hours. After the skin cancer has been removed, there are a number of alternatives for closing the defect. One of these is to allow the wound to heal naturally, without the necessity of additional surgery. If required, your Dermatologist can perform simple or complex wound repair. However some wounds require the specialist reconstructive skills of a plastic surgeon, which can be carried out by us or in a hospital.
At Skin Care Network, Mohs surgery is usually performed as a day case (usually in half a day) or as an outpatient procedure in the clinic. Most insurance policies cover the costs of Mohs surgery and the reconstruction of the resultant surgical area.
You may experience some swelling and bruising. Patients come back to the clinic after seven days for the removal of stitches.