Marin Mohs Surgery doctors

	Steven H. Williams, MD San Francisco Plastic Surgeon 4000 Dublin Blvd Suite 300, Dublin		1 answer
	Karen M. Horton, MD San Francisco Plastic Surgeon 2100 Webster Street Suite 506, San Francisco
	Diana Parnell, MD Marin Dermatologist 1100 S Eliseo Dr Ste 2, Greenbrae

Recent Answers

Is Clinical Recurrence Required for Mohs Micrographic Surgery? I have Basal Cell Carcinona (BCC) in the face (upper maxilla ), and it was removed on November 22, 2008. However, the surgeon did an incomplete primary excision and the biopsy showed positive margins for BCC. I did some research, and the Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) is a good option for the recurrent BCC. Do I need to have a clinical recurrence to undergo MMS?

A: When to get Mohs

Mohs allows for the maximal amount of tissue conservation when it comes to dermatologic cancer resections. It can be indicated for any skin cancer on the face (or any other part of the body) if resection of that tissue is likely to leave a significant scar or a scar that can alter the function of things like the eyelids.

Just because you have positive margins may not mean you NEED Mohs if the treating physician feels that the resulting defect is likely to be similar or the reconstruction options will not substantially change with comparison to normal surgical resection.

You should talk to BOTH the Mohs dermatologic surgeon and your planned reconstructive surgeon to get the treatment options that are best suited to your needs.

I hope this helps.

Steven H. Williams, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon