Important Mohs Surgery Facts

In recent years there has been growing talk about a surgery technique in dermatology known as Mohs Surgery, or Mohs Micrographic Surgery. Over the past few years, we have noted significantly increased marketing of this surgical technique. So much so that we recognize the need for our patients and the community to be better informed regarding both the advantages and the disadvantages of Mohs surgery. You deserve to be fully informed about Mohs Surgery, especially if you are considering having it performed. It is good medical practice to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of any procedure to help you, the patient, make an informed decision.

Some Facts You Should Know...

Mohs Surgery Is Intended For Only Certain Skin Cancers

Mohs surgery was developed about 40 years ago primarily for the removal of particular Basal Cell Cancers (BCCs) that are large and spread in different directions. Generally these were very large lesions in the middle of the face that were recurrent after prior therapy. It is also used for some Squamous Cell Carcinomas (SCCs). In general Mohs is of little or no added value in the treatment and removal of melanomas. It was never intended for the treatment of all Skin Cancer.

Mohs Surgery Is Considerably More Expensive

Charges for Mohs surgery can be 5 or even 10 times as high as proven, standard surgical techniques! That’s because Medicare long ago based its fees for Mohs on a scenario where very large recurrent lesions were treated and Medicare allowed a very high payment for that. The lesions treated now are typically much smaller and found earlier, but those fee amounts have remained and Medicare has not adjusted those yet. Most other insurance companies pay fees related to those of Medicare, so the general fees and charges paid for Mohs have remained extremely high.

Mohs Surgery Is More Complicated

Mohs surgery is more complex and it typically takes much longer than standard skin cancer surgery techniques.

Mohs Surgery Has No Aesthetic Advantages

Mohs does not leave any less scar than normal surgical excisions with the same sized defect.

Mohs Surgery Is No Better At Preventing Recurrence In Most Cancers

Perhaps the most important question -- the one that's most critical to you as a patient -- is whether or not Mohs Surgery has a higher success rate for the removal of your particular skin cancer and is better at preventing your skin cancer from recurring. The answer to this question is really two-fold:

In the skin cancers that Mohs Surgery was intended for, it has a high success rate and is very useful. However today most cancers are identified at a much earlier and smaller stage. That's why the proven standard surgical techniques (not Mohs) are more efficient and equally effective for the vast majority of skin cancers.

If Mohs Surgery IS Right For You

At the Advanced Dermatology Center, we refer patients for Mohs Surgery when it is the proper treatment. In such cases, we never hesitate to make a referral to a reputable, highly trained Mohs surgeon. But it would be medically unethical of us to perform or refer patients for Mohs Surgery when it is not beneficial or necessary.

Why We Don't Perform (Or Market) Mohs Surgery

Because Mohs surgery is only indicated in a very small number of skin cancer cases (perhaps 2% or fewer of the skin cancer cases we see) we arrange Mohs surgery with a colleague whom we trust, who is very reputable, well practiced in the technique, and equipped to perform it more frequently than would be necessary at our practice. At the Advanced Dermatology Center we will never recommend something to you that we would not recommend to members of our own family. We do not perform Mohs Surgery "in house" and would never consider doing so for purely financial incentives.

Our Skin Cancer Cure Rate Is Excellent

We have a better than 98% "cure rate" for skin cancer treatment at our clinic, which is as high -- if not higher -- than the cure rate for practices which heavily use, promote, and advertise Mohs Surgery.

It's About Medical Ethics And Respect For You

We will not put you throug a lengthy, complicated, much more expensive surgical procedure to treat something that is treated just as effectively with faster, simpler, less expensive surgery. Ethical, effective medical and cosmetic dermatologic care is what we're all about at the Advanced Dermatology Center.

If you have been diagnosed with a skin cancer or have a suspicious growth or change in your skin, it is important for you to seek proper medical care as soon as possible. Certain skin cancers can be life threatening, so we urge you to call as soon as possible to schedule a consultation.

Advanced Dermatology Center
706.323.1000

For more information about skin cancer, feel free to visit the Skin Cancer Information section of our website. You can also view photographs of some of the skin cancer surgeries we've performed in the Skin Cancer Surgery Photos section of our Photo Gallery.