Mohs surgery is preferable

Jonathan Hoenig, MD 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?


Jonathan Hoenig, MD
7 months ago
By Jonathan Hoenig, MD - Beverly Hills Oculoplastic surgeon

If you have skin cancer (basal cell or squamous cell), it is preferable to have mohs surgery. You do not need to have a recurrence to get mohs.

What is mohs? Mohs skin cancer surgery allows for the tissue to be examined during the operation through a microscope to ensure that all of the cancer cells have been removed adequately, and that removal of healthy, cancer-free tissue is minimized.

Using the Mohs microscopic surgery technique there is a 95% cure rate. Mohs skin cancer surgery is then followed by careful reconstructive surgery to repair the defect (hole) and to yield an aesthetically pleasing result.
 

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