A step by step breakdown of the Mohs Surgery procedure explains why this procedure has the highest cure rate.
In the third video of the Mohs Surgery series, plastic surgeon Dr. Bryce Cowan explains in further detail the combined process of surgical excision and real-time histological analysis of the excised tissue.
Mohs surgery is typically performed under local anesthetic in a surgical office or surgical suite in a hospital depending on the country or province/state. Occasionally oral sedatives are used. Before the surgery, a marker is used to circle around the visible tumour and the site is frozen with local anesthetic. Usually a 1mm or 2mm edge is taken around the visible tumour and then analyzed under a microscope immediately.
The surgeon and histopathologist visualize the tissue to see if the cancer is entirely removed, and if not, it is easy to see which area required further surgery as the key areas are mapped. Sometimes this process is repeated multiple times, but at the end of the day, all of the cancer will be eradicated.
