There are several different types of skin cancer, but most of them are not seriously life threatening, especially if they are caught early. For several types of skin cancer, the treatment calls for carefully removing the diseased skin until clean margins are obtained. This is called a Mohs surgery, named after the doctor who developed the technique.

If your primary doctor recently discovered that you may have skin cancer, they have probably mentioned the Mohs procedure to you. But who can perform the Mohs procedure? It takes a specially trained doctor and a pathologist. Generally, the only doctors who perform Mohs surgeries are dermatologists. This is not to say that other doctors can’t perform the procedure if they are trained and experienced.

When Mohs surgery has been recommended, many people worry about scarring. The Mohs surgery requires the doctor to cut away the diseased tissue a bit at a time. Sometimes the area can be quite large even without visible marks on the skin. Knowing this, it can be devastating to get the news that you need this procedure.

For this reason, some people want a plastic surgeon to perform the procedure. Unfortunately, most plastic surgeons are not trained in the Mohs procedure. However, a plastic surgeon can still be of assistance.

After your procedure is over and you have healed enough to get the all clear from your dermatologist, you can visit a plastic surgeon for repair and reconstruction of the area. They will use skin grafts to cover the area. This not only improves your appearance when the ordeal is finally over, it also assists in healing when the area is fairly large.

If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer and will be undergoing Mohs surgery soon, please contact us to set up your consultation.