Mohs Surgery

Mohs surgery is the most successful treatment for skin cancer, producing five-year cure rates of 99% for new cancers and 95% for recurrent cancers. At Saddle River Skin and Mohs Surgery, LLC, Gangaram Ragi, MD, is a skilled Mohs surgeon who trained under Dr. Frederic Mohs (the procedure’s creator), taught dermatology residents how to do the procedure, and has performed well over 20,000 Mohs surgeries. Book an appointment at the office in Saddle River, New Jersey, or request one online today to learn if you’re a good candidate for Mohs surgery. 

What is Mohs surgery?

Mohs surgery is an advanced technique for removing skin cancer. The Mohs process has the highest cure rate of all skin cancer treatments and preserves more healthy tissues surrounding the tumor than surgical excision.

When would I need Mohs surgery?

Mohs surgery is the gold standard for treating basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Your provider may also recommend Mohs for melanoma if you have certain types and the cancer hasn’t spread.

Because it spares healthy tissues, Mohs surgery is the best choice for skin cancers located in visible areas, such as your face, neck, hands, and head. It’s also the preferred treatment for recurring cancers, large skin cancers, and skin cancers with aggressive subtypes or poorly defined borders.

What happens during Mohs surgery?

Your Saddle River Skin and Mohs Surgery, LLC, provider gives you a local anesthetic, allowing you to stay awake but comfortable. They remove the visible tumor and a thin layer of tissue surrounding the cancer, precisely mapping it so the tumor can be oriented to your body after it’s removed.

Your provider immediately processes the tumor, creating thin slices they examine under the microscope. They check the margins (edges of tissues around the tumor) to determine if they’re free of cancer cells. If the margins are clear, then all the cancer was removed.

If any part of the margin still has cancer cells, your provider uses the map to guide them to the exact location of the remaining cells in your body. Then they remove a very thin layer of tissue from that specific area and look at it under the microscope.

The process of removing one, thin, precisely targeted piece of skin and evaluating it continues until all cancer cells are eliminated.

You wait in the office while each piece of tissue is examined. By the time you go home, you can be sure that all the cancer was successfully removed.

What is slow Mohs surgery?

If you need Mohs surgery for melanoma, you may have a procedure called slow Mohs. It’s called slow because the process for preparing and viewing melanoma under the microscope is more complex and requires extra time. As a result, you don’t wait in the office for microscopic results.

What happens after Mohs surgery?

After removing all the skin cancer, your Saddle River Skin and Mohs Surgery, LLC, provider decides whether your wound needs a bandage, stitches, a skin graft, or reconstructive surgery. If you need reconstructive surgery, your provider may do it the same day or schedule another appointment.

To learn more about Mohs surgery, call Saddle River Skin and Mohs Surgery, LLC, or use online booking to schedule a consultation today.