MOHs Reconstruction (Skin Cancer)

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and surrounding areas

It’s estimated that over one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year, and that numbers seems to be rising. Moreover, approximately 93 to 97% of all skin cancer occurs on a highly visible part of the body such as the head, face, ears, neck, hands, and arms since these are the parts of the body that typically receive the most sun exposure.

The good news is that early detection (while the cancer is still in its localized stage) means a near 99% survival rate. The survival rate drops steadily in proportion to how far the cancer has spread at the time of detection, so regular screenings are important.

While certain types of skin cancer can be treated with cryotherapy (freezing), lasers, electrodessication and curettage (alternate scraping and burning of the lesion), and even topically applied chemotherapy, others types require surgical removal.
Mohs Micrographic Surgery is the most advanced and effective treatment procedure for skin cancer available. The procedure is performed by specially trained surgeons who have completed at least one additional year of fellowship training under the tutelage of a Mohs College member.

Initially developed by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, the Mohs procedure is a state-of-the-art treatment, continuously refined over 70 years, that allows the surgeon to precisely identify and remove the entire tumor layer by layer while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue intact and unharmed. As the most exact and precise method of tumor removal, it minimizes the chance of re-growth and lessens the potential for scarring or disfigurement.

When performed by an experience Mohs surgeon, Mohs surgery has the highest success rate of all treatments for skin cancer. Clinical studies conducted at various national and international medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, the University of Miami School of Medicine and Royal Perth Hospital in Australia have shown that Mohs surgery provides five-year cure rates — exceeding 99 percent for new cancers, and 95 percent for recurrent cancers.

The Mohs technique is also the treatment of choice for cancers of the face and other sensitive areas because it relies on the accuracy of a microscopic surgical procedure to trace the edges of the cancer and ensure complete removal of all tumors down to the roots during the initial surgery. Mohs Micrographic Surgery is also an effective and precise method for treating basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers.

Mohs Surgery can be used when:

  1. The cancer is in an area where it is important to preserve healthy tissue for maximum functional and cosmetic result, such as the eyelids, nose, ears or lips.
  2. Scar tissue exists in the area of the cancer.
  3. The cancer is large.
  4. The edges of the cancer cannot be clearly defined.
  5. The cancer is growing rapidly or uncontrollably

Mohs surgery is usually an outpatient procedure performed in the surgeon’s office. Typically, it starts early in the morning and is completed the same day, depending on the extent of the tumor and the amount or reconstruction necessary. Local anesthesia is administered around the area of the tumor so the patient is awake during the entire procedure. Dr. Moradzadeh will coordinate your surgery with only the best Mohs surgeons.

Once the Mohs surgery is completed, Dr. Moradzadeh will then evaluate the cosmetic defect and determine what type of repair will restore form and function. Dr. Moradzadeh’s Moh’s reconstruction techniques will often leave your face with no evidence of the prior excision. The goal is to restore your appearance as close to normal as possible.

It’s important to keep in mind that there’s no one “formula” for performing post-Mohs reconstructive surgery since the locations, amounts, and types of tissues affected vary from patient to patient. Certain techniques that commonly used include:

  • Flap techniques (the most commonly used technique in post skin cancer facial reconstruction)
  • LBone grafting (Bone is taken from the skull and shaped to be placed into the excision site.)
  • Cartilage grafting (The most common donor site is the ear, but rib cartilage is also used.)
  • Tissue expansion (used in a small percentage of cases)

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