Your Mohs Surgery Journey

Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are the most common and most treatable cancers in humans. With Mohs surgery, cure rates exceed 99% for primary BCC. The fact that you’ve been diagnosed means we found it. And we can treat it completely.

Mohs surgery removes the minimum tissue necessary, producing the smallest possible wound. The SCAR Study shows that patient satisfaction with scars improves continuously for 12 months. The final scar is almost always better than what patients fear.

Mohs surgery is performed under local anesthesia. You are awake and comfortable. The numbing injection is the only uncomfortable part (about 10 seconds of stinging). Once numb, you feel pressure but not pain. Postoperative pain is typically mild (2–3/10) and managed with over-the-counter medication.

Needle anxiety affects about 10% of adults. We have effective strategies: topical numbing cream applied before the injection, the finest needles available (30-gauge), buffered anesthetic, and vibration devices that significantly reduce what you feel. The injection takes seconds. The numbness lasts hours.

Most Mohs cases are completed in 1–2 stages with a total clinic time of 2–4 hours. The waiting between stages (30–45 minutes each) is when your tissue is being meticulously examined. This is what makes the 99% cure rate possible.

Mohs surgery has the highest cure rate of any skin cancer treatment: >99% for primary BCC. Having had one skin cancer increases your risk of a NEW cancer, but regular follow-up catches them early. Surveillance is your superpower. Not fear.

The SCAR Study showed that psychosocial distress decreases significantly over the first year after Mohs surgery, with meaningful improvement by 3 months. At 6–12 months, most scars become nearly invisible to casual observers. Your surgeon hides scars in natural skin lines.

Wound care is straightforward: keep the wound clean, apply ointment, change dressings daily. Mild swelling, bruising, and discomfort are normal. Avoid heavy lifting for 48–72 hours. Call your surgeon if you see expanding swelling, active bleeding that won’t stop, or signs of infection after day 3–4.