Mohs surgery

Overview

Mohs surgery is a specialized surgical technique that's used to treat skin cancers. Mohs surgery involves progressively removing thin layers of skin and analyzing each thin layer for signs of cancer. Performing Mohs surgery gives surgeons the confidence that they have removed all of the cancer during surgery.

The goal of Mohs surgery is to remove all of the cancer, while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. Mohs surgery offers the greatest chance for a cure of skin cancer and offers an excellent chance of minimal scarring and acceptable appearance after surgery.

Read more about Mohs surgery.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for Mohs surgery

• Expertise and experience. Mayo Clinic doctors who have undergone a year or more of special training in Mohs surgery perform thousands of Mohs procedures each year to treat skin cancer. Mayo Clinic doctors are well-known for their expertise and experience in treating rare skin tumors. Mayo Clinic in Minnesota also offers a one-year fellowship program to train dermatologists in Mohs surgery.
• Teamwork. Mayo Clinic experts work in teams that ensure the best care and best possible results. In addition to dermatologists, your team may include specialists in general surgery, plastic surgery, radiation oncology, radiology and ear, nose and throat (ENT), as well as other areas as needed.
• Innovative strategies. Mayo Clinic's innovative strategies make treatment as effective and comfortable as possible. Doctors regularly incorporate techniques to make you more comfortable during Mohs surgery, such as oral sedatives and music. If you have more than one area of skin cancer that requires Mohs surgery, these additional areas of cancer can be treated at the same time. If your skin cancer is very large and your wound requires specialized nursing care, you can be admitted to the hospital.
• Comprehensive cancer center. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center meets strict standards for a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center, which recognizes scientific excellence and a multidisciplinary approach to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., are ranked high performing for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.

Mayo Clinic: Answers you can trust

At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.

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