Comparing Mohs Surgery With Traditional Excisional Surgery for Skin Cancer

Mohs surgery and traditional excisional surgery offer two surgical techniques to treat skin cancer. According to the physicians at the Skin Cancer & Dermatology Center – with three Colorado locations in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Trinidad, CO, each of these treatment options has its advantages and disadvantages.

Comparing Mohs Surgery With Traditional Excisional Surgery for Skin Cancer

The two skin cancer procedures differ as follows –

• Mohs surgery removes and immediately examines thin layers of cancer-containing skin under a microscope. Layers of cells are removed until no cancer is detected, minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissue.
• In comparison, in excisional surgery, a tumor - with a defined margin of healthy tissue, is removed and sent for examination to a pathology lab.

The following offers a detailed comparison of Mohs and Traditional Excisional Surgeries -

Tissue Preservation

• Mohs Surgery is often chosen due to its ability to spare healthy surrounding tissue, which tends to offer better cosmetic surgical results – especially for those areas being treated in anatomically sensitive locations or those cancers with high recurrence rates.
• Excisional surgery requires the removal of a larger area to ensure complete removal of the skin cancer, which may lead to a more significant cosmetic impact.

Surgical Recovery

• Recovery time for Mohs surgery is usually shorter than that for excisional surgery simply because there is less tissue disruption and more preservation of healthy tissue. Patients can often resume normal activities fairly quickly.
• Recovery time may be slightly longer for excisional surgery, especially if a larger area of tissue must be removed. In addition, stitches may need to be removed, causing additional discomfort during recovery.

Accuracy of Results

• Mohs surgery provides the highest skin cancer cure rates. The technique's precision provides beneficial results.
• Excisional surgery is also effective, but it may sometimes leave small amounts of cancer tissue behind, leading to a slightly lower cure surgical rate.

Who is a Candidate for Mohs Surgery?

Candidates for Mohs surgery include medically treating those people with -

• Basal Cell Carcinoma
• High-Risk Skin Cancers
  • In Sensitive Areas
  • With Unclear Borders
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Large/Aggressive Tumors
• Immunocompromised individuals
• Pregnant individuals

Not every individual with skin cancer will be suitable for Mohs surgery. The choice between the two techniques will be contingent on various factors, including the type and location of the skin cancer, the patient's preferences, etc.

Contact a Leading  Colorado Dermatology Center Near You

For additional info, contact the dermatological professionals at the Skin Cancer And Dermatology Center at (719) 574-0310 (Colorado Springs, CO), (719) 564-5544 (Pueblo), (800) 290-2478 (Trinidad), or online.