Mohs Surgery and Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer can be caused by the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays or UV rays from tanning beds. Exposure to UV rays increase the risk of developing skin cancers later in on life. Often, your dermatologist can catch precancerous lesions which can be treated early. However, often these lesions can develop into skin cancer which require the expertise of a plastic surgeon for complete removal. Skin cancers develop in areas most exposed to the sun, such as the face, scalp, ears, and back. A plastic surgeon understands your concerns of scarring and cosmetic appearance after the skin cancer removal. Dr. Carter can remove certain skin cancers in the office, leaving the most minimal scar possible.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer but if treated early is curable. If you would like to read more, please visit our melanoma page for more information.

Mohs Surgery

Another treatment option, given the location and size of the skin cancer, would be Mohs surgery. Mohs surgery is a surgical technique that removes skin cancer layer by layer with microscopic evaluation to ensure the cancer’s complete removal. After the Mohs procedure, the patient is left with a defect requiring closure. The closure would be performed by Dr. Carter, with the goal of minimizing scars and optimizing cosmetic results. Several local MOHs surgeons refer their patients to our office after the initial surgical procedure so that we may reconstruct the area where the cancer was excised. Dr. Carter’s work consistently brings aesthetically favorable results to her patients.

Two of the most common closure techniques performed in our office include primary closure and local flap rearrangement. Please contact our office to learn more about MOHs Reconstruction, or to see if you may be a candidate for the MOHs surgical procedure.

 

Mohs Defects Before VS After Pictures