Thousands of Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer daily, making it the most prevalent form of cancer nationwide. If you are diagnosed with squamous or basal cell carcinoma, you might consider traditional surgery to remove the cancerous cells. However, this procedure is not as effective as Mohs micrographic surgery. This advanced technique entails your Mohs surgeon Glen Allen, VA removing one precise thin layer of the cancerous cells at a time. Continue reading to discover the many benefits of considering a Mohs surgery for skin cancer removal.
1. Unrivaled Cure Rates
One of the most discouraging elements of traditional surgical skin cancer removal is the high level of recurrences. However, the success rate of a Mohs surgery is incredibly high, which ensures patients enjoy a reduced risk of cancer recurrence.
2. Reduced Scarring
During Mohs surgery, your surgeon will work to eliminate all the cancer tissues, while preserving as much healthy skin as feasible. This procedure offers the best aesthetic outcomes because you are left with a tinnier scar than conventional solutions. Thanks to the reduced scarring, this procedure is an excellent alternative for skin cancers that develop in highly noticeable areas, such as the neck, head, and face.
3. No Waiting and Wondering
Conventional excision surgery entails sending the excised tissue to an outside laboratory and waiting for the findings. Throughout this period, you are left wondering if the surgery was successful and whether you still have the cancerous tissue.
Mohs surgery takes the wondering and wait time out of the process. Your provider will examine every skin layer as they remove it so that you leave the clinic knowing everything about your skin cancer, and with cancer-free, healthy skin.
4. More Comfortable
Another huge advantage of Mohs surgery is that it is performed under local anesthesia at your doctor’s office, instead of general anesthesia. For this reason, your provider will not put you to sleep. Rather, you will be awake throughout your treatment, which often does not take more than half an hour.
5. Less Costly
With other skin cancer therapies, the likelihood of a cancer recurrence or not eliminating all the cancerous cells in a single visit is higher. Patients may end up arranging multiple visits to the operating room, which could be quite costly. However, for a Mohs surgery, the procedure has a huge success rate, which means that patients will not need a repeat procedure. Furthermore, most Mohs surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis, which implies you will incur no extra hospital or operating room expenses. Eventually, undergoing the Mohs procedure could be cost-saving.
6. It Leads to Quicker Recovery
Based on the extent of your surgery, it will take 2-4 weeks to recover from Mohs completely. The Mohs procedure preserves as much healthy tissue as feasible and is not performed under general anesthesia, which means that patients will likely recover faster.
Receiving a positive skin cancer diagnosis can feel as though the world is crumbling down around you. The overwhelming stress and uncertainty of whether the cancer is curable are often intense. Besides, you might have numerous questions for your physician, such as what kind of skin cancer it is, and your best treatment alternatives. However, one of the most popular treatments for skin cancer today is Mohs surgery. This advanced surgical technique enjoys a high success rate and speedy recovery. Talk to your doctor to determine if you are the right candidate for this procedure.
