What can I expect during Mohs Surgery recovery?

Although large skin cancers can be seen with the naked eye, it takes a microscope to visualize cancer at the cellular level. The only way to prevent recurrence of localized skin cancer is to remove each and every cell; otherwise any remaining skin cancer cells can reproduce and cause a regrowth of the cancer... more

Mohs is a technique for removal of skin cancers by a specially trained group of dermatologists (often called Mohs specialists or Mohs surgeons). The principle advantage of the Mohs technique is that the same physician that removes the skin cancer also subsequently examines the removed skin cancer and... more

Your recovery after your Mohs surgery will be a function of whether surgical defect is allowed to heal on its own or whether it is stitched. Stitches on the face will result in a suture removal in approximately 5 to 7 days. After this time, the area should be closed and well on its way to healing. It will be... more

Your recovery all depends on the location of the surgery, the extent of the removal and size of the defect prior to closure, the amount of tension and the type of closure. Swelling is more likely to occur around the eyes, as well as bruising. Lips tend to swell also. Ears may be more painful postoperatively... more

If your wound is closed by some means, the recovery is more simple because you don't have an open wound to manage. If, however, the wound is left open to heal secondarily by itself, there are dressing changes to deal with and a few weeks of inconvenience dealing with the healing wound.

The recovery associated with your Mohs surgery will be a function of the following factors: size of the tumor, size of the resultant defect after the tumor, type of closure utilized by Mohs surgeon and location of tumor. All of these can change the expected duration of healing time. Usually the face heals the... more

Bacitracin ointment twice a day until healed.