Mohs Surgery

Dermatology Associates of the Palm Beaches

Dermatologists servicing the areas of Atlantis, FL, Delray Beach, FL, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Trinity, FL, Wellington, FL & West Palm Beach, FL, New Port Richey, FL, Odessa, FL, Lutz, FL, Land O'Lakes, FL, Wesley Chapel, FL, & Tampa, FL

Every day, about 9,500 people in the United States receive a skin cancer diagnosis, and surgical removal of the lesion is the primary treatment. The board-certified and fellowship-trained dermatologists at Dermatology Associates of the Palm Beaches, with locations in Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Atlantis, Wellington, Delray Beach, and Trinity, Florida, offer the innovative Mohs surgery for removal of skin cancer lesions. To learn more about Mohs surgery for skin cancer, call or request an appointment online today.

Mohs Surgery Q & A

What is Mohs surgery?

Mohs surgery is an innovative technique for the surgical treatment of skin cancer. During Mohs surgery, your surgeon removes the cancerous tissue one layer at a time, which helps preserve the surrounding healthy tissue and may minimize scarring. 

All of the Mohs surgeons at Dermatology Associates of the Palm Beaches, which includes Richard Krathen, MD, FAAD, FACMS, Howard Green, MD, FACP, FAAD, FACMS, and John Strasswimmer, MD, PhD, FAAD, FACMS, are fellowship-trained and members of the American College of Mohs Surgery, the only fellowship-training organization for Mohs surgery in the United States. 

Am I a good candidate for Mohs surgery?

Dermatology Associates of the Palm Beaches determines if you’re a good candidate for Mohs skin cancer surgery during a consultation. The innovative technique treats all forms of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. 

Your fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon may consider you a good candidate if you:

  • Have risk of skin cancer recurrence
  • Need treatment for recurring skin cancer
  • Have a large lesion
  • Have a lesion with poorly defined borders
  • Have an aggressive skin cancer
  • Have skin cancer that’s invaded nerves

You may also benefit from Mohs surgery if your lesion is in a highly visible area, such as your face, and you want to minimize scarring. 

What happens during Mohs skin cancer removal?

Mohs surgery at Dermatology Associates of the Palm Beaches is an outpatient procedure that may take a few hours to complete. 

During the procedure, which takes place under local anesthesia to ease discomfort, your fellowship-trained surgeon removes the cancerous lesion, along with a microscopic layer of healthy tissue underneath.

Then, they closely evaluate the excised tissue, including healthy tissue. If cancerous cells exist in the healthy tissue, your surgeon removes another microscopic layer of tissue and closely evaluates the tissue. They continue the excision and evaluation process until no more cancerous cells are visible. 

What happens after Mohs surgery?

After successful removal of your skin cancer, your Mohs surgeon at Dermatology Associates of the Palm Beaches assesses the wound and discusses options for ideal functional and cosmetic reconstruction if needed. If reconstruction is necessary, your Mohs surgeon may be able to perform the procedure the same day as the cancer removal under local anesthesia.

For comprehensive skin cancer care from board-certified and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons, call Dermatology Associates of the Palm Beaches or use the online tool to book an appointment today.