How Long Does It Take to Remove 5 Layers in the Moh's Procedure

This is an odd question. It is difficult to reliably predict how many layers a Mohs procedure will take but if your cancer requires 5 layers then it is usually quite large or deep or both. In general, to take a Mohs layer requires the patient be brought to the operating suite, anesthetized, prepped and then an incision is made to remove tissue.  Then the tissue gets processed in the lab which can take a variable amount of time depending on the size of the tissue, how much fat, etc.  Then the tissue gets mounted on slides and stained through another tedious process.  Finally, the surgeon reads the slides and maps any residual tumor cells and the process is repeated as necessary to achieve clear margins.  Following this a fellowship trained mohs surgeon with experinece in reconstructive surgery will then repair the area which again will dpened on how extensive the surgical site is and how complex the repair procedure must be to achieve an optimal cosmetic outcome.

After each layer of Mohs, the tissue needs to be processed and placed on slides for the Mohs surgeon to read, this process can take 30-60 minutes depending on many factorsl. Therefore 5 stages would likely take 3-5 hours. However once all the cancer is removed after 5 stages in your example,  the Mohs surgeon will then need to close the area with stitches which may take another 30-60  minutes depending on how complicated the closure is since they may need to perform a flap or graft skin from another area.