Mohs Micrographic Surgery
Mohs Micrographic Surgery Facts
Mohs Micrographic Surgery is the most effective and advanced treatment for skin cancer today. It offers the highest potential for cure, even if your skin cancer has been previously treated by another method. With the Mohs technique, physicians can precisely identify and remove an entire tumor while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue intact and unharmed. It is generally reserved for the treatment of lesions that have recurred following another therapy or cancers in technically challenging locations such as your nose, ear or eyelid.
The Mohs Micrographic Surgery procedure involves surgically removing your skin cancer layer by layer and examining your tissue under a microscope until healthy, cancer-free tissue around your tumor is reached (called clear margins). Dr. Maxine Tabas is trained in the Mohs technique specializing in the advanced treatment of skin cancer and serving as an oncologic surgeon, pathologist, and a reconstructive surgeon.
Please contact us today if you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Tabas and she will provide you with the facts you need regarding Mohs Micrographic Surgery and together you can decide if the procedure is right for you.
Mohs Micrographic Surgery Overview
Mohs surgery is unique and effective because of the way your removed tissue is microscopically examined, evaluating 100% of the surgical margins. The pathologic interpretation of your tissue margins is done on site by Dr. Tabas who is specially trained in the reading of these slides and is best able to correlate any microscopic findings with the surgical site on her patient.
Some advantages of Mohs Micrographic Surgery include:
• Ensuring complete cancer removal during surgery, virtually eliminating the chance of your cancer growing back
• Minimizing the amount of healthy tissue lost
• Maximizing the functional and cosmetic outcome resulting from surgery
• Repairing the site of the cancer the same day your cancer is removed in most cases
• Curing your skin cancer when other methods have failed
• Other skin cancer treatment methods blindly estimate the amount of tissue to treat, which can result in the unnecessary removal of healthy skin tissue and tumor re-growth if any cancer is missed.
When assessing the cost-effectiveness of Mohs Micrographic Surgery, there are several factors to consider. While other methods might initially be less expensive than Mohs surgery, additional surgeries and pathology readings are required to repair the wound and treat the cancer if it is not completely removed. Each of these additional surgeries and pathology readings will require separate fees, while a single Mohs surgery procedure includes all of these into one fee.
There are also human costs to be considered. Because Mohs surgery minimizes the amount of healthy tissue removed, it also reduces the impact to the surrounding area. The aesthetic outcome of the surgery is optimized. Furthermore, the psychological impact of being subjected to multiple procedures when cancer recurs can be significant. Patients usually find it reassuring to know that their cancer has been treated with a single procedure that gives them the highest possible chance of complete cure.
In most instances, your carrier will cover the cost of the procedure. However, depending on your specific plan, you may be required to obtain a referral from your primary care physician or prior approval from your insurance company for the surgery. Please contact your insurance carrier before your surgery date to make sure all necessary authorizations and referrals have been obtained. Failure to comply with your insurer’s requirements may result in a delay in your surgery or a significant increase in your out-of-pocket payment responsibility.
The diagnosis of cancer is frightening and something you should not go through without professional help so contact us or call Winter Park Dermatology today and let Dr. Tabas familiarize you with the Mohs Micrographic Surgery procedure. She cares about you and wants to help you achieve a positive outcome to a devastating disease.
