Surgical Dermatology

Here at Tennessee River Dermatology, we’re proud to provide Mohs Surgery performed by Board-Certified Micrographic Dermatologic Surgeons

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Mohs is a special surgery done on some aggressive basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Named for Dr. Frederick Mohs who described the procedure, this technique is special in that the cancer can be removed in the office and evaluated in our on-site lab on the same day.

This allows us to check the edges and ensure that the cancer has been removed completely without taking excess skin and has up to a 98% cure rate.

The cancer is removed in thin layers and processed in the on-site lab.  Here the tissue is frozen, marked, mapped, stained, and mounted on microscope slides.  If the margins are clear of cancer, then the surgery is over.  If not, the surgeon can follow the map and continue to remove tiny layers of cancer until the slides are clear.  This enables us to remove cancer tissues while leaving the normal skin, producing  excellent cosmetic results and the smallest possible scars.

Closure is usually done at the time of surgery although occasionally referral to a plastic surgeon is recommend for best results.
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