Mohs Surgery is a specialised, remarkable technique, to completely remove cancer in high risk areas of the skin.
Dr Ioulios Palamaras, one of our experienced Mohs surgeons, explains how the technique combines medical and cosmetic benefits.
The difficulty with cancer treatment, is that surgeons want to be sure they erase all cancerous cells, to avoid recurrence, or spreading of the tumour.
With traditional cancer surgery, a wide margin of normal skin and tissue are often removed, as a precaution. Mohs surgery at our London clinics eliminates the guesswork, removing only the cancerous tissue.
The Mohs Approach
Once a patient is prepared for surgery, the cancerous skin cells are carefully taken away by surgical excision, in thin layers. The removed tissue is then examined under a microscope each time, during the operation.
The process continues, layer by layer. Once healthy, cancer free tissue is reached, the Mohs surgeon knows enough has been taken and surgery can come to an end.
This combination of unique surgery and in surgery histology completely removes the tumour and has the highest success rate of any skin cancer treatment.
The timing of a surgeon’s hands and up to date theatre technology come together. For a reliable cure with the best cosmetic outcome, the smallest possible wound.
The Mohs Rationale
Skin cancers can be deceptively large, more extensive under the skin than on the surface. In Mohs surgery, your surgeon will track the tumours along blood vessels, nerves, or cartilage, removing all the cancerous roots but only those.
Prior to Mohs, predicting, or controlling precisely how much skin would need to be removed was difficult. The final area could be only slightly larger than the cancer, or the removal of deep roots might result in a sizeable defect.
Mohs surgery is particularly useful for cancers located in areas of the face and neck, such as the nose, ears, eyelids, lips, or areas where there is not much spare skin, your hands, or genitals.
Conservation of healthy tissue is so important in these areas. For cosmetic reasons and to preserve natural function, to see that a cure also brings a return to normal life.
Our Group Committment
Although recognised by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) as being the “gold standard” for treating high risk, or recurrent skin cancer, Mohs is practiced by very few surgeons in the UK.
Skin Care Network have invested in the specialised surgical and laboratory facilities required to make Mohs surgery available in London. Leading Mohs surgeons, are also resident at our clinics.
They are supported by specially trained, Mohs nursing and technical staff. Together, they offer the most advanced treatment for skin cancer possible, prevalent types such as Basal, or Squamous Cell Carcinomas and less common cancers, including melanoma.
Cure rates for BCC and SCC are over 99 per cent using Mohs, 95%+ for melanoma, far higher than standard surgical, or other methods. If you would like to talk to us about Mohs surgery in London, by all means call, or arrange a personal consultation.