MOHS Micrographic Surgery

What is MOHS Surgery?

This technique has undergone many refinements since the early 1940s and has come to be known as "Mohs surgery" in honor of Dr. Mohs. Dr. Mohs recognized that a skin cancer often resembles a "tip of the iceberg" with more tumor cells growing downward and outward into the skin, like the roots of a tree. These "roots" are not visible with the naked eye, but can be seen under a microscope. Mohs Micrographic Surgery is a highly specialized and precise treatment for skin cancer in which the cancer is removed in stages, one tissue layer at a time. It is an outpatient procedure. The removal technique is no different than other procedures; however it is distinguished by a specific technique of tissue examination that is unique to Mohs surgery.