Mohs Surgery

When you have been diagnosed with skin cancer one of the most effective treatment options is Mohs micrographic surgery. Call us at 734-936-4068

The cure rate for Mohs micrographic surgery is the highest of all treatments for many skin cancers - often approaching 99% even if other forms of treatment have failed. This procedure - the most exact and precise method of tumor removal - minimizes the chance of regrowth and lessens the potential for scarring or disfigurement by conserving as much normal tissue as possible.

What is Mohs surgery?

Performed at U-M since 1955, Mohs micrographic surgery is an advanced treatment procedure for skin cancer that often offers the highest potential for cure -- even if the skin cancer has been previously treated. This procedure, named for the surgeon who developed the technique, is state-of-the-art treatment in which the physician serves as surgeon, pathologist and reconstructive surgeon. It relies on the accuracy of a microscope to trace and ensure removal of skin cancer down to its roots. This procedure allows dermatologists, trained in Mohs surgery, to see beyond the visible disease, and to precisely identify and remove the entire tumor, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. Mohs micrographic surgery is the treatment of choice for two of the most common forms of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

For extensive skin cancers, care is coordinated through a multidisciplinary team of Mohs surgeons; head and neck, plastic, and oculoplastic surgeons; and surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists.

The Mohs process has a remarkable local cure rate with new cancers and recurrent cancers, while conserving as much normal tissue as possible. Tissue reconstruction using skin flaps and grafts is usually performed on the same day by the Mohs surgeons. Our attending staff of Mohs surgeons have completed two years of post-graduate cutaneous oncology and complex reconstructive surgery fellowship training. Their membership in the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology assures that the highest standards of physician training in Mohs Micrographic Surgery has occurred with specialized post graduate fellowship training.

What can I expect at the Mohs Clinic?

Your first appointment will consist of a preoperative consultation. It is often done in the clinic but in many cases screening can be done over the telephone. This visit is critically important to assess, coordinate, plan and prepare you for surgery. Please understand that Mohs surgery is not performed on the consult day.

The surgeons at the Michigan Mohs clinic are board certified physicians specializing in the Mohs procedure. We offer a comfortable setting for the out-patient procedures and our staff of nurse practitioners, nurses and medical assistants will provide you with the personal attention and care you need to make every effort to minimize trips but want to insure that the surgery is performed in the best way possible.

Make an appointment or have your questions answered

The Skin Cancer Patient Care Center is just a phone call away to answer your questions or to assist you in making an appointment. Call us at 734-936-4068.

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