Skin Cancer And Cosmetic Dermatology Center Reviews Tout Mohs Surgery's Accuracy

By Author: Allen Hawkins
Total Articles: 10
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Precision is one of modern technology’s many features. Unlike in World War II where shooting down an enemy plane involved getting as much flak in the sky as possible, today, a missile hit ensures its destruction. Medicine, in a way, has also evolved in a similar fashion. Unlike in the Civil War era, today, amputation isn't the only solution.

Modern medicine reached one of its peaks in the 1930s when Dr. Frederick Mohs developed a method of removing tumors with pinpoint accuracy. This was later known as Mohs micrographic surgery. As many Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Dermatology Center reviews say, its accuracy speaks for itself.

To understand the secret behind the procedure's accuracy, an understanding of its steps is required. The procedure is divided into two phases.

The first phase involves getting cancer cell samples for mapping purposes. Other procedures lack mapping techniques, often relying on "skin margins" around the lesions to maximize the tumor’s removal. In Mohs surgery, the surgeon examines the sample under a microscope to locate the tumor areas.

The second phase is the actual removal ...
... of the tumor areas. The pattern of removal may vary depending on the extent of the malignancy, but the most common pattern funnels down like a diamond mine. This makes for a more accurate tumor removal without affecting the healthy skin around it.

There's no invasive operation that doesn't leave a scar, but Mohs surgery minimizes the scar’s size with its pinpoint accuracy. The procedure only removes what needs to be removed, putting healthy skin cells out of harm's way. It's impossible to do this with other methods since they base their surgical area on how big the lesion is.

The success rate ranges between 99 and 100 percent, according to experts, with complication rates at only around 2 percent. Most of these complications are minor; bleeding and infection issues can be taken up with a surgeon just in case. Post-operative care measures dictate a patient should avoid intense physical activity for the first 48 hours to give the wound enough healing time.

While Mohs surgery is more expensive than traditional methods, its success rate is so high that most patients only need to visit once. This means no subsequent treatment visits are required, saving the patient money in the long term. To know more about Mohs surgery, read Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Dermatology Center reviews or visit SkinCancer.org.