Developed in 1938 by Frederic E. Mohs, chemosurgery or simply Mohs surgery is a procedure used to treat different types of skin cancer. This microscopically controlled surgical technique involves removing thin layers of cancer-containing skin until there is only cancer-free tissue on the skin. It proves quite effective against tumors on the neck and head, but it takes time to recover. Keep reading to find out more.

Mohs Surgery Pictures to Help You Know More About the Procedure

While it proves very effective for tumors on the neck and head, it also helps treat tumors around the ears, eyes, nose, and lips. The procedure has also produced good results in the treatment of ill-defined tumors irrespective of their location. Many people have undergone Mohs surgery to successfully treat aggressive and recurring tumors. However, your surgeon will first consider your unique circumstances and determine if Mohs surgery is the best treatment option for your condition or not.

Repair of the Nostril of the Nose

Goals: The procedure helps treat a defect of the nostril margin. The Mohs surgery pictures show how an ear cartilage graft and a staged cheek flap helped repair the nose of the patient.

Skin Graft Nose after Mohs Surgery

Skin Graft Ear After Surgery

This young woman first came in for a checkup when she was only 30. She underwent Mohs skin cancer surgery but returned a month later for checkup. She developed squamous cell carcinoma, but her surgery was not that serious and required only six sutures. It is due to this reason that she developed no scarring.

More Mohs Surgery Pictures and Successful Experience Sharing

Story # 1

These pictures show how effective the surgery can be. However, I would like to mention that the incision site was quite numb for several months after my procedure. There was no swelling or redness after a few weeks, but that pink appearance persisted for about two months. My friend game me Kelo-cote that I believe is something everyone should use after the surgery for the color and texture of the scar. There was some pain but it wore off in a day or two after the surgery.

Complications

One of my external stitches caused problem as it did not come out with the others. My surgeon found it a bit difficult to get rid of it, but I finally had it removed. The biggest part of the carcinoma was on the center of my scar and this area became a bit wider than the rest. It was not closing that well either. I saw my doctor who gave me a pressure bandage to wear for a while. I also experienced another problem about three months after the procedure when an internal stitch made its way up to the surface, but it resolved on its own after the scar site finished healing.

In the End

I often meet women who have the same scar as do I, but I say nothing to them. I do recognize it instantly though because I have spent months looking so closely at mine. Thankfully, it is all gone now!

Story # 2

It was April of last year when I noticed a small sore, no larger than a pencil eraser, on my left nostril. It was sore all the time and had a scab on it. I went to see a dermatologist on August 23^rd who recommended biopsy to confirm what it was. The biopsy cut the top part of the sore and left my nose in pain. It took about two weeks for the biopsy to heal completely. My doctor called me on August 31st and confirmed that it was basal cell carcinoma cancer and the only way to get rid of it to undergo Mohs surgery.

I then scheduled a meeting with a Mohs surgeon and later scheduled for surgery for October 20^th. On the big day, I arrived at their facility and they proceeded with the surgery. My surgeon marked the spot on my nose and then they numbed my nose. I received 10 shots to make my nose completely numb. There was no pain after that, even when the surgeon removed the first layer of tissue and examined it. They took a couple of hours to confirm if there were still cancerous cells left on my skin. They removed a second layer and sent it for analysis. The results came 9 hours later and were clear this time.

My doctor shared some options to close the wound but also suggested that it was small enough to heal on its own, so I went with that and left it that way. It took me 4 months to recover completely from the surgery. Here are Mohs surgery pictures showing my recovery at different stages:

On the Day of Surgery

Three Days After Surgery

Eight Days after Surgery

20 Days after Surgery

50 Days after Surgery

4 Months after Surgery

How Is the Mohs Surgery Performed?

Your surgeon removes the cancerous layers of skin one by one until they reach cancer-free cells. Here is how the procedure is performed:

1. They start by washing and injecting a local anesthesia into the affected area and then one-by-one remove the visible cancer layers using fine surgical instruments. They also remove a bit of skin around the tumor to get a cancer free margin, which is usually not more than 2mm around the tumor.
2. They draw a map of the tissue specimen and process it. It usually takes about an hour to prepare the tissue. The surgeon carefully examines the area to ensure there are no cancerous cells left. They remove more tissue if the cancer is still present. The Mapping technique helps doctors remove only the cancerous cells without causing any damage to healthy tissue.
3. Reconstruction: After the removal of the cancer, you will have to undergo reconstruction for the best cosmetic outcome. The location and size of the wound plays a role in determining the best reconstruction technique. You may not require any reconstruction if the wound is small – it usually heals on its own. A larger wound may require stitches, whereas larger wounds require a skin graft or even flap. It is usually not possible to confirm the size of the tumor before you undergo surgery. The size usually depends on the size of the tumor.

Risks of Mohs Surgery

Just with any other surgical procedure, there are certain risks associated with Mohs surgery, such as:

• Bleeding into the wound, called hematoma
• Bleeding from the wound
• Tenderness with pain around the incision site
• Infections

Your doctor may give you pain relievers to manage pain or prescribe medications to deal with other complications such as the following:

• There may be numbness around the surgical area, which can be permanent if small nerve endings are damaged.
• There may be weakness of the surgical area if a muscle nerve severed during the procedure.
• There may be shooting pain in the surgical area with itching.
• You may develop an enlarged scar.

How Much Is Mohs Surgery?

You may have to spend anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 on your surgery, which usually depends on the size of the tumor as well as the number skin layers they have to remove during the procedure. The good thing is that most medical insurance plans do cover this procedure.